Freeze and Frost Tips - Protection for Plants

Do  you enjoy a beautiful landscaped area outside during the nice weather?  If you do, then you need to be aware that a freeze or frost can destroy all the lovely work you have done unless you protect your plantings.  To protect outside  plants from forecasted frost or freeze, consider the tips below.  These may save the plant, but they may not prevent all cold damage.  If some browning or wilting occurs, just leave it on the plants rather than prune and possibly shock them.

To find out the difference between a freeze and a frost, see Today's Homeowner article.

Tips for Protecting Plants from Freeze or Frost Conditions:

1. If the plant is in a pot, move it into your greenhouse, garage, or under a carport closest to a wall  and covered for additional protection.  If it is a tropical plant, you may want to bring it into the house until the temperatures warm up more.  If the pots are too large or you do not have the inside space, cluster them together near a wall or fence and cover them for protection.  
2. If you know about the expected freeze in advance, water ground plants in your landscaping during the morning before the temperature drops in the Fall.  If it is Spring and frost will be the next morning, water the night before.  The water will plump up the roots so they do not freeze but it is best for the foliage to dry so no ice will develop on the top of plants.  The exception is succulents, which need to stay dry to prevent dampness from causing them to rot.
3. Mulching around plants not only retains moisture in the hot months, it helps to hold heat in the soil during cold months.  Mulch can be wood chips bought at a local garden center or straw/hya, or even raked up leaves.  So plan ahead by mulching when you plant - it will also reduce weeds!
4. If you have delicate plants or a special plant that is not hardy to below freezing in your landscape, cover them with sheets. burlap, or blankets to insulate and protect them from the drop in temperature.  Although these will shade the plant during the day, they will let the heat of the sun warm the plants underneath.  Plastic covers are not recommended directly on the plants since those can send the cold directly to where it is touching the plants.  If you only have plastic, then you will need to make sure you can prop it above the plants so it is more like a temporary greenhouse instead of a cover.
5. If your recently added low-growing blooming flowers beds of annuals or vegetable seedlings and you want to protect them until the temperature rises again, purchase heavy gauze or garden frist fabric and garden staples to tack it in place and hold it down over the plants.
6. Planting vegetables in a cold frame can make it easier to cover and protect them if the area you live in is prone to multiple freezes or frost.   If you have lots of storage place, but not enough for a cold frame, you may want to invest in glass cloches. 
7. If you only have a few new small plants to cover and you keep the pots from other plants, you can turn them over the plants for protection.  Alternatively, you can cut the top out of soda bottle or gallon milk jugs to turn over the plants.  Just be sure there is air space between the plastic and the plant so they hold in heat and do not touch plants when cold.  For a larger landscape plant, you may turn a trash can over them or purchase a large shrub cover (aka plant tent) for the night that the frost/freeze is to occur and uncover when the temperature rises the next morning.
8. If you have tender fruit trees, you can loosely wrap their trunks in burlap or waterproof paper from the ground up to the limbs for some protection.  If this is done properly, you can leave it on for most of the cold winter season.

Warning:  Do NOT use space heaters or strings of lights outdoors or inside garages to provide warmth for plants.  If these get knocked over or broken by the wind or an animal, they might start a fire that can destroy the plant you are trying to protect and may possibly spread to your home.