Winter Covers for Outdoor Plants

Protecting Your Plants From Frost & Freeze

Weather can be unpredictable from autumn through winter and in some cases even spring! The temperatures can dip bringing in freezing weather than suddenly turn warmer. It can be difficult to plan how to take care of your plants and continue to enjoy the harvest for a longer period of time. It's actually quite normal for temperatures to drop below freezing in late September and early October, depending on your location. When temperatures fluctuate without warning, it can be very difficult to plan ahead.

In many regions, it's quite common for plants to come out of dormancy in late March and early April then followed by freezing weather that will destroy your plants if they are not protected. If you keep up with the weather, you can protect your plants during the first frost or an unexpected freeze event allowing you to continue enjoying your harvest just a little bit longer.

In this article, we will go over some tips for protecting your garden from freezing temperatures in fall and spring.

Garden Plants To Protect The Fall

Everything from vegetables, to annuals, that are grown outside need a lot of protection during an early frost or if it freezes.

On the other hand, perennials, woody shrubs, roses, small trees, and other woody plants are not that necessary to protect. These plants need to experience cold temperatures in order to enter dormancy. Also, most perennials and woody plants can tolerate temperatures at or just below freezing with very little damage.

Keep An Eye On The Forecast

Once September hits, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the forecast and pay attention to the temperatures overnight. When the temperatures fall around 30s °F, you will have to bring in plants and cover other plants, using cold frames and hoop tunnels.

Bring Your Plants Inside

When the weather gets really bad, bring your plants inside, it's the easiest way to protect them. Potted tropical and annual containers can be placed in a heated room, an inside porch, or other protected room including a garage to keep them safe overnight.

Cover The Plants

Protection From Freeze and Frost In The Spring

Vegetables and annuals will also suffer from frost or freeze in early spring. Protecting spring bulbs or perennials are not issues you need to worry about. Perennials, tulips, or other plants with bulbs are able to withstand temperatures in the upper 20s and lower 30s. Some of these plants will be fine in cold temperatures including catmint and columbine. Unfortunately, developing buds on flowers and new foliage on fruit trees along with other trees and shrubs can be damaged by frost and freezes. This is even more likely when cold weather is followed by longer spells of warmer temperatures. Warmer temperatures can lead to the growth of flowers and fruits too soon leading to harm and impairing their appearance over the year.

Early spring can give you false hope if you plant too soon. You could experience a late frost or freeze that will harm your plants. You should hold off planting warm-weather vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, and peppers until all threats are gone. Annuals like begonias, marigolds, and petunias should wait until the threat of frost is behind you.

If your heart is set on planting vegetables, choose cool-season vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, beets, collards, kale, carrots, Brussels sprouts, radish, lettuce, chard, and onion for early spring. Cool season annuals should include pansies, sweet alyssum, and snapdragons These annuals and veggies can withstand a light frost with temperatures down to 28°F or 26°F without being damaged.

Harden Plants For Spring Planting

Annual plants like vegetable transplants, perennials grown in a greenhouse or indoors need to adjust to cooler temperatures before planting them outside. Hardened plants are more likely to survive an unexpected light freeze or a frost without being harmed, unlike plants that have not been hardened.

When there is a forecast for below-freezing temperatures, protect your plants by bringing them inside or covering them with blankets, using cold frames, or growing tunnels.