Frosty weather in spring or fall that sends you to the closet for a jacket can be hard on certain plants in your garden, too. Temperatures in the low 30s Fahrenheit can kill vegetable crops such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as colorful flowering annuals such as petunias and begonias

FROST PROTECTION TIPS

“Despite the heart numbing frost, my soul is blooming like spring.”

Dr. Debasish Mridha, Author - Verses of Happiness

DUE TO THE FROST AND FREEZE WARNING GOFFLE BROOK FARMS WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY MARCH 28TH SO THAT WE TOO CAN PRACTICE THESE FREEZE & FROST PROTECTION TIPS

Cover with sheets, newspapers or blankets any perennials that have new growth showing.

Donna recommends:

  • Cover with sheets, newspapers or blankets perennials that have new growth showing.
  • Cover any hydrangeas you have even if they aren’t showing new growth
  • If you already planted your pansies you can cover them. Pansies will take a hard frost but why not protect them?
  • Bring in any houseplants you have taken outside 

Unexpected frosts and freezes can devastate landscapes and gardens. They can leave a gardener wondering how to protect plants from freezing, and question what is the best way to cover and keep plants from freezing. Frosty weather in spring or fall that sends you to the closet for a jacket can be hard on certain plants in your garden, too. Temperatures in the low 30s Fahrenheit can kill vegetable crops such as tomatoes and peppers, as well as colorful flowering annuals such as petunias and begonias. While you can’t grab a jacket for your cucumber vines or pots of marigolds, you can help your frost-tender plants come through cold snaps unscathed. Here’s what you need to know about which types of plants need frost protection and when to take action.

When weather forecasters issue a frost advisory in late spring and early fall, that’s your heads-up to protect annuals and other vulnerable plants. You might think temperatures have to get to the freezing point (32˚F), but actually, a frost can occur between 36˚F and 32˚F. Frost can be light or hard; a light frost around the upper end of that temperature range might kill the tops of tender plants but the lower parts remain green, while a hard frost happens when temperatures hover around 32˚F for a few hours, which is enough to kill all above-ground parts.

Below 32˚F is considered a freeze, which is more destructive than a frost. Tender plants, such as tropical houseplants and geraniums, are killed completely when the air temperature stays below 32˚F for a few hours.

Unexpected freezes can devastate landscapes and gardens. They can leave a gardener wondering how to protect plants from freezing, and question what is the best way to cover and keep plants from freezing.

Follow these tips to help your plants survive the onslaught of winter’s last gasp:

  1. Move Containers Indoors

When possible, bring tender plants indoors. Small container gardens and any plants still in their nursery containers are generally easy to move indoors temporarily. A heated location isn’t always necessary. An unheated garage or garden shed will often provide enough protection when temperatures dip into the mid-30s F. Lows near freezing call for an insulated indoor situation.

  1. Bring Out the Blankets

Round up old bedspreads, blankets, and large towels. Drape them loosely over plants, supporting the material with stakes as needed. Be sure the plant cover extends to the ground in all places to create a small dome of insulation. If wind is a problem, anchor the fabric to the ground with bricks, stones, or anything heavy. Woven fabric provides better protection than plastic or paper, but you can add sheets of plastic on top of your fabric layer to shield it from precipitation that may also be occurring. Remove your coverings by mid-day so plants don’t overheat, but keep them handy because there is often more than one frosty forecast per season.

  1. Use a Cloche

A super easy garden hack is to make a milk jug cloche by cutting off the bottom of a gallon-size jug and placing it over a plant, making sure to push the bottom of the jug about an inch deep in the soil. Tie the handle of the jug to a nearby stake to prevent it from blowing away. Keep the lid of the jug closed at night for maximum protection, but remove the lid to vent the cloche during the day to avoid overheating the plant.French for “bell,” a garden cloche is usually a rounded cover that acts like a mini greenhouse around a single tender plant. A super easy garden hack is to make a milk jug cloche by cutting off the bottom of a gallon-size jug and placing it over a plant, making sure to push the bottom of the jug about an inch deep in the soil. Tie the handle of the jug to a nearby stake to prevent it from blowing away. Keep the lid of the jug closed at night for maximum protection, but remove the lid to vent the cloche during the day to avoid overheating the plant.

  1. Water Well

Did you know that moist soil can hold 4 times more heat than dry soil? The moisture in the soil will conduct heat to the soil surface, warming the area around the plant as much as 2˚-3˚F. When cold weather is forecast, water your plants well. A cloche or blanket probably will be necessary, in addition to watering, to fully protect plants.

  1. Add Mulch

A thick layer of mulch, such as shredded bark or compost, can help insulate tender plants. Cover the entire plant with mulch the night before low temperatures are forecast, and remove it when the weather warms up again. Messy and labor-intensive, mulch may not be the best option for large planting areas. Reserve this method for a few small but sturdy plants (don’t try this with fragile seedlings!) or those that are in an area where you can spread out the extra mulch when the need for protection ends.

Bergen County’s Best Kept Gardening Secret

Goffle Brook Farms – Garden Center/Farmer’s Market

423 Goffle Road Ridgewood,NJ 07450
(201) 652-7540