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How to Protect Garden Vegetables from Frost
How to Protect Garden Vegetables from Frost. A freeze occurs when temperatures fall below 32 degrees F. Depending on your climate, frost can form on your vegetable garden plants in spring and fall, causing serious damage. Radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and corn can be very susceptible to frost. Keep on top of weather forecasts for frost so...
A freeze occurs when temperatures fall below 32 degrees F. Depending on your climate, frost can form on your vegetable garden plants in spring and fall, causing serious damage. Radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and corn can be very susceptible to frost. Keep on top of weather forecasts for frost so you can prevent your vegetables from being ruined.
Things You'll Need
Lightweight material
Rocks
Bricks
Heavy material
Plastic
Stakes
Wire
Roll fencing
Mulch
Plastic jugs
Buckets
Scissors
Utility knife
Baled hay or straw
Be aware that frost can occur in your garden even if temperatures are predicted to be in the high 30s. If your garden is in a low area, colder air tends to accumulate there at night and the temperature can drop much lower than predicted.
Drape lightweight material directly over plants. You can use old curtains, sheets or burlap sacks. Place the material loosely over the plants and secure it with rocks or bricks. Unfolded newspapers can be used in a pinch, but they are difficult to secure. Remove the covering in the morning.
Make a tent over the plants with heavier material or plastic if you prefer this over the lightweight option, or if you see a need for heavier-duty protection. Put support stakes, wires or roll fencing around the garden, and drape the structure with old blankets, shower curtains or tarps. Avoid having plastic touching the plants as it can cause freeze damage. Secure the edges of the coverings with stakes, rocks or bricks. Remove the covering in the morning.
Cover the garden vegetables with mulch material such as straw, hay, pine needles and leaves.
Cover small plants with plastic gallon milk jugs or water jugs, or 2-liter soda bottles. Cut off the base of the bottles with a scissors or utility knife, and place the bottles over the plants. Keep the caps on at night and take them off during the day if you'll be leaving the jugs over the plants for a few days. You also can cover plants with cleaning buckets or ice cream pails.
Stack baled hay or straw around your vegetable garden and cover the top with any type of material that you can secure to the bales.
Bring vegetable plants that are in containers into a shed or garage, or onto a screened-in porch or deck as close to the building as possible.
