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Protect garden plants from frost


Frost Covers & Cold Snap Care

Whether you fell under the spell of some eye-catching color at the garden center or just wanted to get a jump on the gardening season, planting too early can create a crisis when a cold snap threatens. Helping your seedlings survive the big chill isn't impossible, but it does require some preparation.

In most cases, you can count on makeshift methods to protect plants when the thermometer dips. But for larger plantings, such as a vegetable garden, you'll need to arm yourself ahead of time with the right gadgets to guard plants against frosty mornings.

Know The Limits

In order to understand what steps to take when freeze warnings threaten, you need to know the point at which treasured greenery fades to frost-burned brown. The general rule of thumb is that most plants freeze when temperatures remain at 28°F for five hours.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Seedlings, with their tender new leaves, often give up the ghost when temperatures dip to 32-33°F. Tropical plants have differing low-temperature thresholds. Some keel over when temps fall to 40°F; others crumble at 35°F. Other plants are just hardy by nature and can withstand temperatures as low as 18-20°F. To find the threshold for your plants, search garden books and online resources.

Quick Fixes For Frost Warnings

Pick It Up – The easiest cold-protection scheme is to move plants out of harm's way. This works with seedlings in flats and potted plants. Moving plants under a deck, into a garage or shed, or onto a porch with a roof often offers ample protection.

Count On Water – Water soil just before sundown to raise overnight air temperature around plants as the water evaporates. Fill gallon jugs or buckets with water and place them in the sun during the day. At night, move them near endangered plants. The water will moderate air temperatures; if it freezes, it will release heat. For greatest effect, paint a few water-holding containers black to maximize daytime heating.

Keep Air Moving – Cold, still air does the most damage to plants. Stir a breeze all night with an electric fan to keep frost from forming on plants. Remember to protect electrical connections from moisture.

Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp. You can also invert baskets, coolers or any container with a solid bottom over plants. Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air. Ideally, coverings shouldn't touch foliage. Anchor fabric coverings if windy conditions threaten.

In the morning, remove coverings when temperatures rise and frost dissipates. Heat from the sun can build beneath solid coverings, and plants can die from high temperatures.

Break Out Blankets – Keep gardening blankets, often called row covers, on hand. These covers are made from synthetic fibers or plastic in varying thicknesses. Lay row covers directly on plants, or create a tunnel by suspending them over a bed using stakes.

Turn On Lights – An incandescent light bulb generates sufficient heat to raise nearby air temperature enough to protect a plant from the deep freeze. Bulbs must be close to plants (within 2-3 feet) for this technique to work. (Fluorescent bulbs don't generate enough heat for this chore.)

Protect Individual Plants – Install hot caps – rigid plastic containers with venting holes – over individual seedlings at planting time. Hot caps act like cloches (mini greenhouses), but venting holes eliminate the daily chore of placing and removing the covering. Create the equivalent of a hot cap using plastic two-liter bottles or gallon jugs with bottoms cut off and lids removed (but saved). Replace lids at night when cold temperatures swoop through.

A twist on the hot cap idea is a Wall O'Water tepee, which encircles individual plants with a sleeve of water-filled tubes. The water absorbs the sun's heat during the day. At night, as the water slowly freezes, it releases the stored radiant heat of the sun, keeping air inside the tepee frost-free.

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How to protect plants from frost: 10 quick and easy methods

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As the cold weather sets in, it's important to know how to protect plants from frost, as tender and young plants in particular can be wiped out by a sudden cold snap.

There are many quick ways you can protect more vulnerable plants and it's definitely better to be safe than sorry – there is nothing more devastating than seeing the beautiful plants you have lovingly nurtured destroyed seemingly overnight by a visit from Jack Frost.

Unless you live in a warm zone, it is likely that some of the ornamental plants and crops you have included in your garden ideas will be in need of some protection, so read on to find out how you can help their survival through the colder months.

How to protect plants from frost – which plants to protect

(Image credit: National Trust)

Not all plants in your backyard will need protection from the frost, but there are certain categories that will. These include:

Signs of frost damage include blackened, distorted or limp growth and the leaves turning green on evergreen plants and shrubs.

If in any doubt, research the conditions and hardiness of specific plants. Err on the side of caution and include frost protection in your winter garden ideas if cold weather is forecast in your state or area.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In terms of vegetable crops, there are some that actually benefit from a dose of frost and can taste better afterwards. 'There are some veg crops that are frost tolerant, if not frost resistant,' explains Nicole Burke, author of Rooted Garden .

If you live in a colder zone, it is therefore worth learning how to grow kale and other frost tolerant vegetable crops.

1. Bring potted plants indoors

(Image credit: Future)

There are many quick ways for how to protect plants from frost, and among the easiest is to bring potted plants indoors, especially tender container plants.

Potted plants are more susceptible to frost damage because they don't have the insulated benefits of of those planted in the ground.

Use a conservatory, garden room, garage, porch or frost-free greenhouse to overwinter potted plants – not somewhere that is too warm.

This can be a suitable option if you're wondering how to overwinter fuchsias in pots, or how to winterize hydrangeas, for example.

2. Add a layer of mulch on garden beds

(Image credit: Alamy)

'Apply dry mulch, such as chipped bark or straw around borderline-hardy plants, such as agapanthus, phygelius (cape fuchsia), hedychium and the architectural melianthus to protect the crown,' advises plant expert Sarah Raven . 

You could also use leaf mold or piles of leaves to add some extra protection on garden beds and provide a barrier against the cold.

Find out how to make leaf mulch to protect tender and emerging plants.

3. Cover plants with fleece

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You may wonder how to protect plants from frost when they are planted in the ground? One method – which is useful for larger garden plants and shrubs – is to cover them with horticultural fleece. You could use blankets or bubble wrap, too, to create a protective cover. These Amazon plant covers come highly recommended by reviewers. 

Place several stakes around your plants and then cover these with the chosen material to create a tent-like structure. Weigh down the corners to prevent the coverings from blowing away in the night and remove the covers during the day.

You can use this method for plants that require winter protection, such as agapanthus, cordyline and tree ferns.

'Fleece is very effective, but if you prefer something less obtrusive, a circle of wire netting filled with bracken or leaves will keep the cold at bay, too' advises Sarah Raven.

You can also wrap the trunks of young trees with horticultural fleece or blankets, such as if you're growing some of the best fruit trees or have mastered how to grow lemon from seed.

4. Place tender plants in a sheltered spot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The mantra 'right plant, right place' is relevant when considering how to protect plants from frost.

'Always plant half hardy and frost tender plants in a sheltered position, preferably near a south or west-facing wall, which will absorb heat during the day and radiate it at night,' advise the experts at Jacksons Nurseries .

'Eliminating the wind chill factor can substantially reduce the amount of frost damage incurred,' they add.

Other sheltered positions will include next to fences, under large evergreen trees for gardens, under the protection of pergola ideas or in patio or courtyard areas, as long as these also receive plenty of sunshine. 

While a sunny, sheltered spot is ideal for many tender plants, do not place early-flowering plants, such as magnolias and camellias, so that they are exposed to the morning sun. 'The rapid thawing of frozen buds can result in blackening and bud drop,' advises Guy Barter, horticultural expert at the RHS .

5. Lift and store tender perennials

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tender perennials that have bloomed and died down can be lifted to protect them from frost.  

Store the roots, bulbs, tubers and corms in a cool but frost-free place, such as a potting shed or greenhouse. There are lots of mini greenhouses to shop at Amazon , should you only have a few tender perennials to protect. 

This is a suitable method for how to overwinter dahlias or how to overwinter begonias.

6. Protect tender plants with a cloche

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Garrett)

If you're wondering how to protect plants from frost in the vegetable patch, then a cloche is one of the best methods. A cloche can be used to protect seedlings and smaller plants from frost. 

Cloches are bell-shaped covers made from glass or plastic that can be placed over the plants. You can buy cloches or even make your own out of recycled objects. They also sell a range of cloches on Amazon .

'Cut-off large plastic bottles or milk containers can be turned into homemade cloches to embed into the soil around small plants and seedlings to provide protection,' advise the experts at Jackson Nurseries.

Remove them during the day to allow the plants to benefit from the warmth and energy of the sun.

Cloches are ideal for use with young vegetable crops that are sown in fall, such as broad beans, spinach, scallions or spring onions and asparagus.

7. Move plants into a cold frame

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Young hardy annuals that are sown in fall may also benefit from some protection from frost.

Place them in the shelter of a cold frame over winter, although ensure they have good ventilation on warmer days.

You could make your old cold frame if you don't already have one, advise the experts at Jacksons Nurseries. 

To make your own temporary cold frame:

8.

Water plants in the morning

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You probably wouldn't think that your routine for watering plants could make a difference when considering how to protect plants from frost – but in fact it can help support any protective measures you take.

It is best to water plants in the morning during winter and when there is a risk of frost, because wet soil actually absorbs heat during the day and has an insulating effect.

9. Wrap containers

(Image credit: Ian West / Alamy Stock Photo)

If you are unable to move containers indoors as a method for how to protect plants from frost, then try to protect them from the elements outdoors by placing the pots in sheltered areas, and where possible grouped together for added protection against the cold and wind. 

Container plants are more likely to suffer from their roots freezing. To prevent this, 'wrap the containers with bubble wrap from Amazon or straw, or bury the pots in the ground with just the rim showing, to benefit from the insulating properties of the ground,' advise the RHS experts.

Also raise containers using pot feet or by resting them on bricks to allow water to drain away more easily, and prevent plants sitting in icy water.

10. Choose the right plants for your backyard

(Image credit: Future / Camilla Reynolds)

Rather than trying to protect plants that are not suited to the climate of your backyard, instead choose those that are reliably hardy in the zone where you live. This will prevent the disappointment of losing plants when they aren't adequately protected.

Many evergreen shrubs and plants are fairly hardy. Plants will have a hardiness rating ranging from fully hardy – able to withstand temperatures of  0-10 °F (-18 -12 °C) – to frost tender, which might not survive being exposed to temperatures below 40-50 °F (4-10 °C).

While this might limit to some extent the plants or crops you can include in your garden, there will still be plenty of options suitable to you hardiness zone.

You can also include some of the best winter flowers to plant for color and interest in the colder months, or best winter plants for pots and borders.

What can I cover my plants with to prevent frost?

There are many materials that you can use to cover plants with to prevent frost.

You can find many permeable horticultural fleeces and frost protection products on the market, but can also use materials that you can find around the house – just make sure they are lightweight, breathable and insulating. 

Options to use include:

What temperature should I cover my plants for frost?

The temperature that you should cover your plants from frost to protect them will depend on the individual plants and the conditions and position in which they are planted.

Frost occurs in temperatures below 32°F (0°C) so this is the point at which you need to be protecting plants in winter. 

Most plants will need protecting from temperatures of 30°F (-2°C) or lower, but frost tender specimens should be protected before temperatures dip this low.

Can I use plastic bags to cover plants from frost?

It is not advisable to use plastic bags to cover plants from frost. This is because plastic can damage your plants if it makes contact with foliage, as it holds water against the plant and causes more damage from freezing. 

It also isn't a very insulating material, nor is it an eco-friendly or a sustainable option, so look for alternatives when deciding how to protect plants from frost.

Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens.com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories. Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.

Effective methods of saving plants from recurrent frosts

With the approach of spring, all summer residents and gardeners begin preparations for the new sowing season. One of the main activities at this time is the preparation for return frosts. A sharp drop in temperature in May and early June is a common occurrence for Russian latitudes. The situation is dangerous because trees, shrubs, sown vegetables, planted flowers and berries can die from a cold snap. Heat-loving crops are especially affected. Consider how to protect plants from spring frosts. What to do to enjoy a rich harvest in the fall.

Which plants tolerate frosts more easily

Crop name

What low t withstand, about C

Peas, legumes, celery, garlic, parsnips

Seedlings are able to survive a drop in air temperature and on the ground down to -5 without consequences.

Raspberry bushes

Within 2-3 days, it will withstand the onslaught of frosts up to -3-4. On the third day, do something urgently. Otherwise, the bed cannot be saved.

Strawberries and strawberries

You will be able to survive the temperature drop to -9 painlessly.

Carrot, parsnip, parsley

Radish, cabbage, horseradish

Spinach, onion, rhubarb and sorrel

Able to withstand and not die when t drops to -5-6.

Blackberry, raspberry

Rarely affected by frost attacks. Saves shrubs late flowering.

Cold sensitive crops

Food for thought! The degree of susceptibility to sudden changes in temperature largely depends on what stage of blooming the buds are in. The ovaries withstand temperatures down to -1 o C. The buds fall already at a frost of -3 o C. Blossoming buds die at -3.3-3.5 o C. Blossoming buds darken and fall off if it gets colder to -2 o C. In the flowering stage, plants become the weakest, most susceptible. Fruits will not set if a fading tree, bush or flower had to survive a frost of up to -1.5 o C.

How to protect the beds from return frosts are no longer scary.

However, it is not.

What is a return frost? This is when at night the temperature drops for a certain time, falling to 0 about C. Basically, such surprises occur at night or in the early morning, before sunrise.

How to protect the beds, especially those that are sensitive to cold? There is a set of measures that have proven useful and effective in practice:

Event

How to organize, conduct

Mulching

Ideal for garden beds.

  • Use organic matter as mulch: dried grass, straw or compost.
  • Beds and seedlings leaning towards the ground are covered with natural covering material.

Mulching helps conserve heat by reducing soil heat transfer and increasing moisture above the soil surface. When to line? Best in the evening, after watering. For greater effect, a layer of agrofibre should be laid on top of the organic mulch carpet. Then the beds will not be afraid of any frost.

Hilling

Mostly used for potatoes.

  • Armed with a chopper, it is necessary to form mounds around each bush.
  • Cover the sprouts with leaves well.
  • The thickness of the soil layer should be approx. 8-10 cm.

Covering materials

A simple and effective way to save almost any vegetable garden. It consists in creating a mini-greenhouse from special covering materials, any bottles, boxes and containers that are at hand.

  • beds are covered with spunbond or polyethylene film.
  • Blooming strawberries and strawberries are covered with agrofiber, agrospan.
  • Seedlings are covered with cut plastic containers: bottles, boxes, containers, caps, etc.
  • Use any cardboard box as a covering. Cones and covering caps are made from cardboard and thick paper.
  • To protect against frost, each bush can be covered with glass containers: jars, bottles, bottles, any other containers.
  • To protect ornamental shrubs, special covering materials or ordinary burlap are used.
  • Medicinal plants sown in the soil are protected by covering the seedlings with cut plastic bottles, buckets, disposable cups.

Any type of shelter will reliably protect the beds from harmful contact with the outside world.

Important! When constructing any protective devices, using covering materials and containers, try to keep them less in contact with the leaves, tops of plants. Therefore, mini-greenhouses are built for relatively tall seedlings, young bushes and trees.

  • The frame is first formed from bent metal pipes. The length of the sections is at least 45 cm.
  • After that, any non-woven material or film is attached to the structure.
  • Preferably 2-3 coats. The number of layers will directly depend on the degree of the predicted degree of cooling.

Only use transparencies! Black and any dark ones will not let heat through to the roots of seedlings.

Fertilizer spraying

Preparing potassium-phosphorus top dressing.

  • Take 75 g of double superphosphate for 1.5 liters of hot water.
  • The mixture is infused for 3.5-4 hours.
  • After the solution is filtered, diluted in 15 liters of water.
  • Add 30 g of potassium nitrate to the finished composition.

The resulting mixture is sprayed on trees, shrubs, flowers and other horticultural crops a day before the predicted frost.

Root applications

Landings are watered at the roots with fertilizer solutions with a high content of potassium, phosphorus. Top dressing will help if they are applied 10-11 hours before the frost hits.

Smoke

The easiest way, but has some peculiarities. The essence is as follows:

  • Fires are lit on the leeward side of the site. Based on each hundred square meters, one. Bonfire size: width up to 1.3-1.5 m, height - not less than 0.5-0.7 m.
  • They set fire to everything that smolders well: straw, dry branches and leaves, cut grass, etc.
  • The fire is kindled in advance with the expectation that the strongest frosts occur in the early morning. Maintain smoldering by checking if there is heat.

Smoke creates a curtain, an obstacle between the cold and plants, warms the air by several degrees. What are the features of the method? It will help with frosts not lower than -4 about C. This method of protection can cause indignation of the neighbors if the smoke is blown into their garden.

Sprinkler or irrigation

The method is more convenient, more efficient than sprinkling, therefore it is considered quite popular. To do this, you need a hose with a nozzle for watering. Ideal if the site has a stationary irrigation system with sprinklers. What are they doing.

  • Irrigate the plants a few hours before expected frost.
  • Do it late at night, as in most cases the most severe frosts occur before dawn.

What does it do? The moisture that has fallen on the seedlings at minus begins to actively evaporate. As a result of active evaporation, the air around is warmed up, not allowing the cold to fall close to the ground, where the roots of the plants are. The method is effective, it saves even in cases where it gets colder to the mark of -5-7 about C. The main thing is to water a few hours before the cold snap. Otherwise, the moisture will begin to evaporate early, all efforts will be nullified.

Heavy or wet irrigation

The method is applicable to all plants, for example, seedlings from vegetable seeds, young and mature berries, etc. But it is especially effective for shrubs and trees.

  • Up to 5-10 buckets of warm water heated up to +10 o C. are poured under each tree or bush.
  • Treat crops additionally by irrigation or sprinkling.

The protection method works similarly to the previous one. Moisture begins to evaporate, warms the air and prevents plantings from freezing.

Green manures

Green manure seeds are sown in advance between rows, in areas where vegetables, flowers, berries, any heat-loving varieties are planted. Green manure with a living wall will protect plantings from extreme temperatures. After, when warm weather sets in, they are cut off, leaving between the rows like mulch.

Landing planning

  • Stone fruit trees are capricious, they react negatively to lower temperatures. It is recommended not to plant them in the lowlands, where it is always 2-3 about C colder than in the rest of the territory.
  • Before transferring vegetable seedlings to open ground, they must be hardened off. During the day, take out to the street, at night - the house. In general, do not rush to plant vegetables in the garden. Wait until warm weather sets in. Otherwise, the plants can not be saved.
  • When choosing seeds for shrubs and trees, vegetables, flowers and other crops, choose varieties that are suitable for the climate in your area. Today, most breeders have such seed. A striking example is the seeds "Gavrish" and "Agroelita".

Weatherman himself

It's good to be interested in the weather forecast, but we all know that meteorologists often make mistakes. Not because they are incompetent. It's just that often they give out data not for a single region or city, but in general, for the region. That is why the weather varies so much in individual places located in the same region. What to do? Learn on your own, determine what the weather will be like in the coming days. Become a weather forecaster and do everything to prevent freezing of plants.

Nature and folk wisdom will help

Sign, natural phenomenon

What will happen (probable course of events)

Early spring, warm first half of the season

In May, the threat of cooling is great. Moreover, a significant drop in temperature is likely to occur closer to the end of May, beginning of June.

Early spring, warm

Expect return frosts May 1-5, 15-20. In addition to freezing of the soil, wet snow is possible.

Warm during the day, cold in the evening

Wait for cold weather if a sharp drop in temperature occurs against the background of such factors:

  • cloudless, clear sky;
  • calm, calm weather;
  • dry air and no morning dew.

The probability is especially high if at 19:00-20:00 the temperature begins to drop sharply, and by 21:00 the thermometer already shows +3-4 about C.

Moon yellow like a head of cheese

Expect frost in the air and on the ground.

Sparrows sit silently, ruffled and hiding their tails.

High chance of rain with sleet. The cold will come soon.

The weather is cloudy, but it clears up closer to the night

Cooling will be for sure.

The fish does not bite and goes to the depth

A sharp cold will come in a day.

The frogs have stopped croaking, they are silent

There will be a cold snap, frosts on the ground.

Water lilies on ponds raised leaves

No more cooling. You can start planting heat-loving crops, sowing seeds of flowers and vegetables in open ground.

Viburnum blossoms in a riotous color

The threat has passed. There will be no more cold snaps and frosts.

Red willow blossoms

The earth is ripe, there will be no sharp drops in temperature. It's time to go to the field, sow the soil.

Willow and aspen blossomed

It's time to plant carrot seeds in the garden. At the same time it is already possible to sow:

  • parsley, dill;
  • radish, radish;
  • turnips and onions.

Maple blossoms

It's time to plant the beet seeds.

Lilac and rowan blossoms

It's time to sow cucumber seeds outdoors. Plant seedlings:

  • eggplant;
  • tomatoes;
  • peppers;
  • physalis.

It's time for cherry plum, cherry and blackthorn to blossom

Time to sow corn seeds outdoors.

The cuckoo has flown in and is calling

Heat-loving crops can be sown outdoors.

Oak blossomed

It's time to sow peas.

Three frosts in May

When bird cherry blossoms, when apricot blossoms, the temperature drops especially when oak blossoms.

This is interesting! The people noticed. If March is dry, April is damp, and May is cold, expect a rich harvest in autumn.

Calculations help predict the weather

In one of the issues of the magazine "Country Secrets" a note was published by our compatriot, an experienced gardener Yu. M. Alekseev. Based on personal experience, he told how you can determine whether there will be frost in May.

Factors affecting forecast accuracy

Forecast accuracy depends on a number of weather factors. They focus on changes that occur mainly in the evening or at night. What factors indicate that there will be no cooling, even if the thermometer shows otherwise:

Good to know! In cities, on hills covered with vegetation, the ambient temperature is usually 2-3 o higher than in hilly areas and in lowlands.

If the seedlings and seedlings are still frozen

Unfortunately, not all crops will be able to survive the cold snap. Even strong plants sometimes cannot stand frost and freeze slightly. What to do in this case? Is it possible to somehow revive the garden and vegetable garden?

How to reanimate seedlings of vegetable crops

Here is how experienced gardeners recommend reviving seedlings of vegetable crops beaten by the May cold snap:

Comprehensive treatment, sanitary pruning will revive frozen seedlings. Solutions of stimulants and dressings will strengthen and help you recover faster from the stress experienced.

Good to know! Antidepressants will not help resuscitate peppers and eggplants. Cultures are capricious, hypersensitive to any stress, temperature extremes, and especially frost.

Each climatic zone of our country has temperature peculiarities. It is difficult to say which of the above methods will meet expectations. It will be the most effective and will help protect or reanimate damaged seedlings. You will have to choose. There is consolation in the fact that if forewarned, then forearmed. You should not despair. Take our advice into service and do not hesitate, the harvest will be saved!

Protection of plants from frosts in spring

A sharp cold snap in spring does not bode well - a drop in temperature is detrimental to heat-loving crops. Protecting the garden from frost is an essential step in maintaining the viability of plants. Do you know how to save plantings?

Spring weather is deceptive - today the warm sun is shining, and tomorrow - the earth is again bound in chains of cold. That is why you should not relax during this period - follow the signals of mother nature.

Which crops need protection?


Not all plants are afraid of frost. Parsley, carrots, celery, spinach, dill easily tolerate temperatures down to -5 ° C - you don’t have to worry about them. But most of the garden and garden crops react negatively to a sharp cold snap. These include:

The level of susceptibility to frost depends on the stage of development. The ovaries painlessly tolerate cold snaps down to -1 ° C, buds - up to -2 ° C, blossoming buds - up to -3.3 ° C.

How to protect the garden from frost - we develop observation skills

Forecasts of weather forecasters often do not correspond to reality - observation and knowledge of folk signs will help protect plantings from frost in a timely manner.

  1. If it is cloudy during the day, and in the evening it is quiet, cloudless and windless, then expect a cold snap.
  2. The frogs stopped singing "songs" - a warning about imminent frosts on the ground.
  3. The fish went deep - it will be very cold tomorrow.
  4. Sparrows fluffed up and hid their tails - it will rain with snow.
  5. The moon has turned dark yellow - there is a high probability of a sharp drop in temperature.
  6. Early spring is a sure sign of late return frosts, which are the most dangerous for horticultural crops.

Have you noticed dew on the grass, puffs of fog that appeared out of nowhere, flowering of viburnum or red willow? Wonderful! This means that there is a high probability that there will be no frost, even if weather forecasts promise the opposite.

Protecting plants from frost - effective methods

There are many ways to protect plantings from recurrent frosts. Consider the most effective.

Mulching

Helps retain valuable heat by maintaining moisture and reducing soil heat transfer. As a heat-saving mulch, use compost, straw, dry grass, sawdust, pine needles. To improve the result, lay agrofibre over the mulch layer - plants will be completely safe under the double “blanket”.

Smoke

The essence of this simple and very popular method is to create a smoke screen that warms the air. Bonfires 0.7 high and 1.5 m in diameter consist of several layers. The lower layer is formed from well-smoldering materials - straw, dry branches, paper, the upper one - from wet sawdust, rotted leaves, fresh grass, tops.

The resulting hill is covered with earth, not forgetting to provide a hole in the center for smoke to escape. This method of protecting the garden from frost has one big disadvantage - the neighbors do not like it.

Irrigation

The most effective way to fight frost. Abundant watering from a hose with a spray is especially useful for fruit trees and berry bushes.

When the water freezes, it evaporates and releases heat, which helps the plants survive the difficult period for them. The best time for sprinkling is late at night, because severe frosts occur before dawn. Ideally, you need to do the procedure twice a night. The operation, known as “Ice Shell”, saves plantings from temperatures as low as -7 °C.

Fertilizing

Foliar application is a proven method of protecting plants from frost. For spraying, a phosphorus-potassium solution is prepared - 75 g of superphosphate is dissolved in 1.5 liters of water, infused for 4 hours, 15 liters of water are added and 25 g of potassium nitrate are added.

Epin Extra proved to be excellent, which protects against frost and restores damaged plants. Fertilizers should be applied at least 10 hours before frost.

Construction of shelters

A mini-greenhouse will save crops from sudden cold weather. For the manufacture of the frame, wire or thin pipes are used, for shelter - film, spunbond, burlap, cotton fabric.

Seedlings can be hidden in cozy houses made of plastic buckets or bottles. By and large, anything is suitable for creating a protective cap - cardboard boxes, paper bags, disposable cups, glass jars.


How to revive plants?

What if the frost protection didn't work and the plants got frozen? Start resuscitation immediately!

  1. Cover frozen bushes with rags or hay. It is possible that they will warm up and recover.
  2. Pour frostbitten garden plantings with complex fertilizers - there is still hope for survival.
  3. Spray plants with Heteroauxin, Kornevin or any other stimulant the day after frost.
  4. Potatoes can be saved by cutting off the top tissue, followed by spraying with a growth promoter and applying nitrogen.
  5. Tomatoes and cabbage are well affected by watering with warm water at the rate of 1 liter per bush. Damaged leaves are previously removed.
  6. After 4 days, frozen cultures are fed with urea, after a week - with potassium.

Now you know how to protect plants from frost and what to do if plantings are still affected by weather surprises.

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