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How do I Protect Vegetable Plants From Frost Damage?
How do I Protect Vegetable Plants From Frost Damage?. A late or early frost poses a serious threat to most garden vegetables. However, well-prepared gardeners find it easy to protect their vegetable plants from a sudden cold snap. Monitor your local weather report daily to keep yourself informed of the possibility of low temperatures and prepare in...
A late or early frost poses a serious threat to most garden vegetables. However, well-prepared gardeners find it easy to protect their vegetable plants from a sudden cold snap. Monitor your local weather report daily to keep yourself informed of the possibility of low temperatures and prepare in advance. Vegetable plants can also be protected from frost by proper irrigation and nutrition. Well-fertilized and consistently watered vegetable plants stand a much better chance of surviving frost than underfed or irregularly watered ones.
Things You'll Need
Water
Mulch
Frost blanket
Bricks
Stand
Water your plants. Ice crystals that form on a plant during a frost draw moisture from the interior of the plant. A well-watered plant will not suffer stress or damage from dehydration.
Pick any ripe vegetables.
Cover the soil with 2 inches of organic mulch.
Cover the plants with a frost blanket. Frost blankets are designed to protect plants from temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit and can be purchased from your local garden center. Ideally, cloth covering should not touch the foliage directly. Erect a makeshift stand to drape the cloth over (like a tall stool or several 2-by-4s). Then anchor the edges of the blanket down with bricks or other heavy items to keep the warmth radiated by the soil from escaping.
Tips & Warnings
Certain vegetables need no protection from frost. Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chives, lettuce, parsnips, spinach and turnips survive cold weather with no problem. Simply add a few inches of organic mulch.
You may cover your plants with virtually anything—boxes, buckets, blankets or cloth. However, these makeshift covers only offer minimal protection. If temperatures drop much lower than 30 degrees Fahrenheit, your plants may suffer minimal damage. Makeshift covers cannot stay on longer than 24 hours.
