One day it’s super hot, and other night it is freezing cold, yes we are talking about the beautiful weather. “Climate is what we expect, and the weather is what we get!” Sometimes it is so unpredictable, and that’s why we love it even more!
Winter season is officially a cuddling season, so whether we cuddle with our loved ones or just with cozy blankets (the best one!), we all somehow enjoy our cold winter nights. Right? But this season is not suitable for everyone, by that we mean plants. Yes, the cold and harsh winters can really damage your greenery. So if you’re living in the state with the highest snowfall or just wanna know how to protect plants from frost, keep on reading.
Today we have collected some easy and useful winter plant protection ideas that will help you to save your flora from this bitter cold.
What is Frost?
Frost generally occurs when the temperature of wind (at ground level) drops below to 32°F, and due to this, ice crystals are formed on the plant leaves. The fluids in them freeze, and that’s the reason the leaves turn brown or black.
Why Worry?
The first question that comes in our mind is: Why plants need protection and do they really need it? The answer is yes! Because not only humans but also plants and shrubs get affected by high winds. Snow may be a great visual treat for your eyes, but it can severely damage the branches of the trees. So what is the solution? For that, read the below paras.
At What Temperature Do Plants Freeze?
The next question is, how cold is too cold? (not for you but for plants!) but seriously, this is not an easy one to answer. Here is the thing that a wide variety of floras have various temperatures. Some have special chemicals that keep them freezing. While some plants are so sensitive that they can bear a little bit of cold.
How to Protect Plants from Frost?
So below are the 7 ways to save your garden from freezing in the cold. They all are super easy, and you can do them without freezing yourself while doing them!
1. Shrub Shelters
For the deciduous flowering shrubs, you can use this method. There are actually two ways of doing a Shrub shelter:
- A-frame (or “snow frame”)
Shelters come in various shapes and sizes, you can choose anyone according to the shape size of your plants.
- Build with Natural Materials
You can simply make one by natural materials like grass and small tree branches to cover them up.
2. Use Tree Wraps
You can also use a tree wrap to cover your evergreen trees. You can easily find them in the supermarket or departmental stores (Walmart and Target stores). These covers not only save them from heavy snow but also from fast winds.
3. Fall Watering Wards off Wind Damage
But if you want to show your evergreen shrubs in winters, then there is a simple thing that you should keep in mind, and that is to keep watering them properly throughout the fall season. Watering in this season allows their transition process to be completed more smoothly from growing season to winter season.
4. Fall Pruning
With fall watering, you should also do pruning time to time to keep them healthy.
5. Choose Cold-Hardy Plants
If you want to display your plants, then include some “cold hardy” vegetation in your garden. These are known as “hardy” because they can tolerate some amount of freezing, such as broccoli, cabbage, calendula (pot marigold), and carrots.
6. Harden off Seedlings
There is a total of 14 days of the process before the final transplantation of a plant. When the outside temperature is 45 degrees, bring them outdoors and at night keep them inside the house.
7. Protect Plants with Cloches
Cloches are another great idea to save your small herbage. You can buy them from a plant shop or from online, and put it on top of them.
Useful Tips :
- Spray “anti-desiccant” (anti-drying agent) on certain floras.
- Bring potted plants indoors
- If possible, water the plants the night before the frost.
- Another way to protect your greenery from frosting is to cover them up. You can use drop cloths, bedsheets, frost cloths, and garden buckets.
So these are the tips and methods to protect your verdure from the frost, hope they’ll help you. With a little bit of care and protection, your plants will definitely shine and grow beautifully in the harsh cold winters.
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