It’s not too early to start thinking about cold, frosty weather.
After all, think back to last winter. We had one of our coldest
winters ever
– at least in terms of consecutive nights of freezing
temperatures.
It’s not too early to start thinking about cold, frosty weather. After all, think back to last winter. We had one of our coldest winters ever – at least in terms of consecutive nights of freezing temperatures. Not only did local gardeners lose tropical plants like bougainvillea and hibiscus, but some normally hardy plants didn’t make it. For instance, I lost geraniums that I’ve had for years, while neighbors lost oleander.
Frost is a great leveler. The tomatoes that refused to ripen all summer? Turned black. The zucchini that took over the garden? Mush. Besides tropical plants, some citrus like cold-sensitive limes and lemons can easily bite the dust, as well as most types of ferns. But take heed because there are preventive measures you can take.
For example, if you have frost-tender specimens planted in containers, you can always move them close to the house under the semi-protection of eves or a porch. Be aware that potted plants are particularly susceptible to frosts because their roots are also unprotected. Sometimes simply keeping them moist will help to protect them from the cold.
However, most times it’s going to involve some sort of sheltering. Covering plants with layers of newspapers, cardboard or even old sheets and blankets will work. There are also commercially available floating row covers and frost blankets. You can spray cold-sensitive plants with an anti-transpirant product, such as WiltPruf or Cloud Cover. These products help to keep moisture in providing a sort of protective gloss.
Something as simple as a single sheet of newspaper over plants will help. Since there’s seldom any wind when frost hits, a single layer of newspaper will stay put on plants. If it’s windy enough to blow the paper off, it’s usually windy enough to prevent frost.
If you want to get elaborate to protect a particularly loved tender plant, build a shelter. Simply pound a few stakes around plants. Even a single stake can sometimes be used. Then you can staple or drape a sheet, cardboard, plastic tarps or any other lightweight material over the frame. No need to bother with taking the protection down and removing it almost on a daily basis.
Another simple method that will help is that if you water the garden thoroughly before nightfall. The soil will release moisture into the air around your plants during the night, keeping the air somewhat warmer.
Finally, a method that sounds crazy (but works) is spraying water and letting it freeze on the plant. This works because some heat is given off in the freezing process. The heat is then captured between the ice and the plant, insulating the plant.
Here’s hoping that we don’t have a repeat of last winter. However, if we do, we can take measures to increase the chances of survival of cold-sensitive plants.
