Plucking dead plants out of your garden because of frost damage can put a damper in your day, especially when they started out doing well before the first frost hit. Stay positive! These things happen, but gardening is a learning experience that can teach us about hoping for the best and being prepared for the worst. Speaking of being prepared, here are 3 ways I suggest to avoid frost damage to your home garden!
First, let’s talk about frost. Frost is what happens when water vapor or gas freezes, forming small ice crystals on the surface. Frost is beautiful to look at, but it can really do some damage to the plants in your garden. So now, let’s get down to business and talk about how to prevent frost from stopping your fall and winter harvests.
Tip # 1: Try Seasonal Gardening
One great tip to avoid frost is to grow plants in your garden that thrive during frost-season. If you aren’t sure which plants are suitable for the season, try observing other surrounding gardens during the winter and fall season. Ask other gardeners in your community. Take notes on any plants that seem to be thriving, and which ones are easily dying. Try finding a seasonal guide for planting in your area either online or at the library. A little research goes a long way when it comes to seasonal gardening. The best way to beat the frost is to find out which variety of plants in your area can survive those frost seasons, and try to grow only that variety.
Tip # 2: Grow Your Plants Early
If you want to ensure an extended harvest, grow early before the first frost hits. By planting early, you can at least increase the chances of plant survival prior to the first frost. Plants are much more resistant and can better withstand frost when they have a lot of growing time. I recommend finding out which seasonal plants can be planted early in your area as well as your predicted frost dates. A few examples of greens that grow early in the northwest area of the United States (where I reside) are lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula, endive, mizuna, Swiss chard, and mustard or turnip greens.
Tip # 3: Cover Your Garden
Covering plants is a popular method to prevent frost damage, and I would say it’s effective. You can use old sheets, blankets, burlap, or frost protection fabric. There are many ways I have seen this done, and it’s best to do this right before evening. Drape the cover loosely over your plants and secure them with anchoring pins, stakes, or even stones. If you are using a light fabric, there is no need to prop it up with anything, but for heavier fabrics you may need to utilize something to support it, so your plants don’t get crushed. It is important that you remove the cover immediately in the early morning to keep your plants from suffocating. I would not recommend a plastic covering because plastic will hold in condensation, causing freeze-burns on your plants.
I hope the tips above help you out this frost season. If you have any tips or tricks that you use in your own garden for preventing frost damage, I would love to know about them. Please feel free to comment and share them below.
Stay tuned for more organic home gardening tips and ideas!
