What can i use to cover 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:
- Young seedlings and new growth
- Tender perennials
- Half-hardy varieties
- Tropical and subtropical plants such as palms and banana plants
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:
- Bend slender, metal rods into loops – you could use wire coat hangars for this
- Insert the ends of the metal loops into the ground either side of a row of crops or plants
- Lay a sheet of clear plastic over the frame and secure it in place to protect the plants below
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:
- Straw
- Bubble wrap
- Blankets, bed sheets, towels
- Newspaper
- Leaves or other organic materials
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. nine0003
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
- Early flowering stone fruit, especially planted in lowlands, away from water bodies. Also weakened and sick specimens, which are the first to be at risk. nine0082
- Apricots, apples, plums and cherries are considered cold sensitive.
Also cherry, pear. - Grapes, gooseberries and blueberries do not tolerate frost well.
- Easily freezes early planted seedlings of vegetable crops. These are eggplant, tomato and pepper grown from seeds.
- A sharp cold snap is detrimental to strawberries, strawberries, gourds. They begin to suffer from cold when the thermometer falls to -1 about S.
- Even if the berries grown from mustaches or seeds were strong, the consequences cannot be avoided. After freezing, the bushes stop growing, leave for a long time and painfully. But still, part of the crop can usually be saved. This is due to the fact that the culture has a fairly long flowering period. Even if the early flower buds suffer from the cold, fall off, after resuscitation, the plants will again throw out the flower stalks and delight with ripe berries.
- A number of heat-loving varieties of garden flowers also suffer from spring cold. Drop in air and soil t to -2 about C causes a halt in growth and development.
As a result, even if the flowers do not die, flowering is still delayed by about 1.5-2 weeks. - Perennial salvia and rose do not tolerate spring cold. Annuals dahlias, nasturtiums, chrysanthemums grown for seedlings from seeds of marigolds and zinnias. It is recommended not to rush to transfer them to the ground. It is better to wait until the threat of May frosts completely disappears.
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. nine0003 - First of all, there are regions in Russia where the spring is protracted and the years are short and do not come soon.
- Secondly, today the climate is changing rapidly. Even the southern regions are not immune from sudden changes in temperature, night cooling.
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. nine0003
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.
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.
|
| 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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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.
The resulting mixture is sprayed on trees, shrubs, flowers and other horticultural crops a day before the predicted frost. nine0003 |
| Root applications | Landings are watered at the roots with fertilizer solutions with a high content of potassium, phosphorus. |
| Smoke | The easiest way, but has some peculiarities. The essence is as follows:
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. nine0003 |
| Sprinkler or irrigation | The method is more convenient, more efficient than sprinkling, therefore it is considered quite popular.
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.
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. nine0003 |
| Landing planning |
|
The length of the sections is at least 45 cm. 
Top dressing will help if they are applied 10-11 hours before the frost hits. 
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. 
But it is especially effective for shrubs and trees. 
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. nine0003
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:
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. nine0003 | 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 | nine0009 |
| 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:
|
| Maple blossoms | It's time to plant the beet seeds. |
| Lilac and rowan blossoms | It's time to sow cucumber seeds outdoors. Plant seedlings:
|
| 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. |
There will be no more cold snaps and frosts. 
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.
- To do this, you need an ordinary outdoor thermometer, which is hung out in a shady place where the sun hardly gets.
- To predict changes in the weather, you need to fix the thermometer readings at 13:00 (afternoon) and at 21:00 (evening). nine0082
- After you need to find the difference between the received numbers.
- Check the final number with the data given in the table.
- Thus, to find out how likely the threat of the return of frost.
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:
- The wind increased, became gusty and cold.
- Cloudiness has sharply increased.
- Clouds of fog came out of nowhere.
- Dew fell on the grass and leaves of the trees.
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?
- Seedlings, frozen trees and shrubs should be covered with hay, straw or rags. They will warm up, slowly thaw. There is hope that they will fully recover.
- Frozen seedlings and crops will help save the following method. In the morning, before sunrise, spray the damaged plants with a solution, where 2 g of boron, potassium permanganate and copper were thrown into 10 liters of water. Spray completely every bush! The water should be cold, not warm. nine0082
- Experienced gardeners advise to fluff up frost-bitten beds, water the root zone of damaged plants with a weak solution of complex fertilizers. This method is good for grapes. And the tomatoes will help, albeit partially. Frozen tops are unlikely to come to life, but with 100% certainty we can say that powerful side shoots will grow.
- Wait a day after the frost, then water the bed with tomatoes and cabbage with water at room temperature.
How much to pour? Under each bush 1 liter. Before watering, it is recommended to trim the damaged tops and leaves to a healthy, undamaged tissue. nine0082 - One day after watering, spray frozen seedlings with any growth activator. Suitable Kornevin, Epin, Epin-extra, Heteroauxin or analogues. Prepare the spray mixture strictly according to the instructions on the package. How much will be needed? Based on the calculation of 75-100 ml for each bush. The same solution is recommended to water the soil near the plants. Pour about 175-200 ml under each seedling.
- After 3-4 days, it is recommended to fertilize with 10 liters of water, where 1 tbsp. l. urea. nine0082
- After about a week, 8-9 days, feed the affected crops with a top dressing with a high content of potassium. The solution is prepared based on 10 liters of water 1 tbsp. l. fertilizers. Under each bush, approximately 175-200 ml is poured.
- If frosts have affected potato seedlings, it is also worth trimming the tops and leaves to living tissue.
Then spray each bush with a growth stimulator. In parallel with this, reinforce the seedlings with nitrogen fertilizers. To do this, prepare a solution of 10 liters of water and 20 g of ammonium nitrate. Pour 150-180 ml under each bush. nine0082
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. nine0114
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!
How to protect plants from frost: proven ways to save your harvest
Late return frosts in the middle lane can occur until almost mid-June. The good news is that there are a number of plants that are almost not afraid of frost, but there are also those that can slow down in growth and even die. We tell you what can be done to protect the crop.
Anna Zalesskaya
Young plants are very sensitive to cold and temperature changes. For heat-loving seedlings that have just been transplanted into the ground, frosts can be dangerous. In the best case, the edges of young leaves will suffer, dry out and turn brown, and in the worst case, frosts can cause growth to slow down, fruiting will also be delayed for a couple of weeks, and some plants may even die.
Fortunately, there are many ways to protect, and we talk about the most effective and easiest to perform. nine0003
Effective ways to protect plants from frost
Watering
When the temperature reaches 0°C, the plants can be sprayed whole with water from a spray hose or drip irrigation. You need to water in the evening before the temperature starts to drop. When it starts to get colder outside, the water will gradually begin to evaporate, and the steam will not let cold air through to the ground. This method of protecting plants from frost is called sprinkling, it is often used at temperatures down to -5 °C. nine0003
Protection of seedlings from frost with the help of sprinkling is based on the fact that each drop, when frozen, gives off heat to the environment. In this way, not only seedlings, but also trees and shrubs can be protected from frost. When there is a strong wind outside, the sprinkler method will not work.
The wind enhances evaporation and increases the destructive effect of frost.
Fertilizer
Foliar feeding of plants with phosphorus and potassium will help to withstand frost. Thanks to fertilizers, the accumulation of sugars in plants increases, which means that the concentration of cell sap increases. Seedlings become more resilient, and frozen moisture prevents cell membranes from being destroyed. nine0003
Plants should be fed at least a day before the expected frosts, otherwise the fertilizer will not have time to act, and there will be no sense from such actions.
Hilling
To protect plants from wind and cold, they can be covered with a small layer of soil. A good shelter will help protect the leaves of the seedlings and provide them with anti-stress until the frosts recede. The method is mainly suitable for potatoes and tomatoes. Seedlings need to be carefully bent to the ground and sprinkled with a layer of 2-3 cm.
Both potatoes and tomatoes can be under such shelter for several days. nine0003
Frost resistant plants:
Onions, dill, parsley, carrots, celery, spinach, sorrel.
Plants that are afraid of frost:
Cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes.
Of the common flower crops, zinnia does not like freezing. She needs to be covered too. And the heat-loving marjoram plant is afraid of frost.
Do you have a hotbed or greenhouse in your dacha? nine0003
How to cover plants in frost?
Individual shelters
The easiest way to protect plants from frost is to put individual shelters over each, and any materials that are found at home will work for this, you don’t need to buy anything special, you only need scissors. What can serve as an individual shelter?
- Juice and milk bags
- Plastic water bottles
- Glass jars
- Cardboard boxes
- Yogurt and sour cream cups.
All containers should be cut off and lightly sunk into the ground to prevent them from flying away at night.
Covering materials
Frost protection of the plant can be provided with the help of simple structures made of covering materials. Sometimes they use burlap, matting, hay or sawdust, put newspapers and a simple film, but it is best to buy white agrofiber (spunbond). nine0003
Film
the film does not retain heat, as required by night temperatures. When a frame with stretched polyethylene is placed on top of newspapers or hay, an additional air cushion is created, which improves protection against sub-zero temperatures.
Agrofibre
Agrofibre is a non-woven material, spunbond. It is an environmentally friendly polymer, has a very thin structure and resembles an ordinary fabric.
You must have met him at garden centers. It can be placed on plants without any frame, which is convenient. The material is light and well passes air, light and water, so it will not harm plants. Spunbond effectively protects plants not only from frost, but also prevents the soil from drying out in summer: the earth covered with agrofiber perfectly retains moisture. Light spunbond can be laid directly on plants freely and without tension, sprinkling earth around the edges. nine0003
The spunboard comes in various thicknesses and densities, which is indicated on the packaging, but the density can also be determined by the weight of the bag with the material. When choosing spunbond to protect plants from frost, it is important to look at or check with the seller for what temperatures this or that type of material is suitable. The thinnest option protects plants in case of temperature drops to minus 3°C, and there are types of agrofiber that work at frosts down to minus 7-9°C.
White spunbond can be used to make bags or caps for bushes, including those that have become green before frost, to insulate trees and lay them out on beds instead of a greenhouse. If you sow the seeds in cold weather, you can directly cover the ground, and when the seeds sprout, they will simply lift the spunbond. nine0003
Black agrofibre is not intended for shelters. In summer, it is used to protect against weeds and retain moisture in the soil and is placed under plants, leaving the green part open.
Plants after frost: how to save
Unfortunately, not all crops can survive the cold snap. Even strong plants sometimes cannot stand frost and freeze slightly. Is it possible to reanimate the inhabitants of the garden and vegetable garden? Experienced gardeners advise such an anti-stress set of measures for plants affected by frost. nine0003
Seedlings, as well as frost-affected trees and shrubs, are recommended to be wrapped in hay, straw or rags.
They will warm up, slowly thaw, and there is hope that they will fully recover.
Frozen seedlings and crops will help save the following method. In the morning, before sunrise, spray frost-damaged plants with a solution in which 2 g of boron, potassium permanganate and copper were diluted per 10 liters of water. Spray completely every bush! The water should be cold, not warm. nine0003
Plow up frozen beds, water the root zone of frost-damaged plants with a weak solution of complex fertilizers. This method is good for grapes. And it will help tomatoes, albeit partially. Frozen tops are unlikely to come to life, but with 100% certainty we can say that powerful side shoots will grow.
Wait a day after frost, then water the bed with vegetable plants (tomatoes and cabbage) with water at room temperature. How much to pour? Under each bush 1 liter. Before watering, it is recommended to trim the damaged tops and leaves of plants to healthy, undamaged tissue.
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One day after watering, spray frostbitten plants with any growth activator. Suitable Kornevin, Epin, Epin-extra, Heteroauxin or analogues. Prepare the spray mixture strictly according to the instructions on the package. How much will be needed? Proceed from the calculation of 75-100 ml for each bush. The same solution is recommended to water the soil near the plants. Pour about 175-200 ml under each seedling.
After 3-4 days, it is recommended to fertilize with 10 liters of water, to which 1 tbsp. l. urea. nine0003
After 7-9 days, feed the frost-affected plants with a top dressing with a high potassium content. The solution is prepared at the rate of 10 liters of water 1 tbsp. l. fertilizers. Approximately 175-200 ml is poured under each bush.
If it was not possible to completely protect potato seedlings from frost, it is also worth trimming the tops and leaves to living tissue.
