It’s finally Spring and you’ve worked hard to plant your garden! But wait, Mother Nature is throwing a curve ball with low temperatures and frost. Here are a few tips on how to protect your gardens and landscape plants from the cold!
Potted plants and containers? Grab those pretty pots and make room in your living room or garage! Two nights in the house will keep them safe from the frost and happily blooming into the summer!
What about all of the plants you can’t just pick up and move? Pull out those sheets and blankets! Simply drape the blankets and sheets or drop cloths over the top of your plant and use bricks, rocks, or stakes to hold down the edges. Be sure to drape loosely to allow for air circulation. Do not let the material rest on the plants. This acts as insulation, trapping warm air from the ground around the plant. Never use plastic alone without a cloth barrier between, as the plastic can damage the plant.
For smaller or single plants you can make “hot caps” from recycled milk or soda bottles with the bottoms cut out, paper bags, or newspaper tents. Some people even use 5 gallon buckets as covers.
If you have time, you can create an insulation barrier around the plant with some mulch and cover with burlap, this will help keep it warm and cozy during the cold nights.
Make sure you uncover the plant during the day, while it’s heating up, condensation can build up under the covers and cause harm when temps drop again tomorrow and those flowers will need to soak up the sun! ☀️
Watering the soil (not the plant itself) will also help the soil retain heat and can help the plant’s roots and lower branches survive.
The Garden Center at Johnson Nursery Blog 