Tips for protecting your plants from this weekend's freeze (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thing to cover plants with during a freeze? ›

Fabric coverings will prevent the freezing air from coming into direct contact with the moisture on the plant while also capturing the heat that is radiating from the ground. Bed sheets or comforters work best for covering large plants and shrubs.

A moderate frost, with temperatures ranging from about 28°F to 32°F, necessitates a bit more precaution. In addition to tucking your plants in well with some frost cloth or cover, it's also a good idea to water your plants the evening before frost is expected to hit.

First, as the days shorten and the cold sets in, many plants become “hardened”. Water is pumped out of plant cells into the roots and any remaining sap, which is a sugary solution, often acts as antifreeze. Broadleaf trees, like maples and oaks, shed their thin, flat leaves each fall to reduce water loss.

If it is not going to rain before the freezing temperatures arrive, you should water plants thoroughly. This is because moist ground stays warmer than dry ground. Watering the night before the freeze arrives will insulate the root structure of the grass and plants, decreasing the potential for cold injury.

This is definitely not the best idea. Plastic or vinyl materials are normally too thin to provide adequate insulation and since they do not breathe, moisture can get trapped inside. If temperatures drop low enough, this moisture will freeze on your plants, causing more harm than good.

So the answer is yes, cardboard boxes will protect plants from frost. They offer a simple, cost-effective and readily available way to insulate your outdoor plants.

If plants are not portable, do the following to protect them: Cover the plants with beds sheets, light drop cloths or blankets, row covers (frost blankets), burlap, cheesecloth, etc. Drape the covering over the plants like an umbrella.

If you don't have frost cloth, cover plants with lightweight cotton sheets or painters cloth that let in air and light. Burlap and blankets, even paper and cardboard will work, but take care not to weigh down the branches. It's best if the cover reaches the ground and can trap the warm air rising from the soil.

- Buckets. A 3-5 gallon bucket can protect plants from overnight cold if positioned before teperatures drop.

Farmers spray water before an overnight freeze because water produces latent heat when it freezes. The sprayed water on the surface of the plant will be converted to ice, and the heat trapped in it will insulate the plant from the cold environment.

Can you spray water on plants to prevent freezing? ›

Irrigation sprinklers can be used to protect plants from freezing when the expected lows are just below freezing. But, it's all about temperature. Irrigation will result in severe damage when the low is just below freezing. Overhead sprinklers are often used to protect blueberries from freezes at bloom time.

If you're worried about frost, move your potted plants under a covered patio or into the garage, anyplace they have some cover, Hodel said.

Bring Plants Indoors

Bringing plants indoors is the easiest way to protect them from frost or freeze damage. Potted tropical and annual containers can be pulled into a heated room, porch, or into a protected and warm structure, such as a garage, to protect them overnight.

Stir a breeze all night with an electric fan to keep frost from forming on plants. Remember to protect electrical connections from moisture. Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp.

Plastic can be used to protect plants from frost, but it's not the best or most effective material. In fact, the horticultural experts here at Green Impressions actually recommend against it. Plastic materials such as vinyl and traditional camping tarps aren't breathable, causing moisture to get trapped inside.

If you don't have frost cloth, cover plants with lightweight cotton sheets or painters cloth that let in air and light. Burlap and blankets, even paper and cardboard will work, but take care not to weigh down the branches. It's best if the cover reaches the ground and can trap the warm air rising from the soil.

Active FP methods are mainly of three types, (1) irrigation (2) heat application, and (3) mixing of the air.