Early Frost Warning
Uh oh. When weather forecasts a chance of frost, you may wish to protect sensitive outdoor plants from potential frost damage especially if your property tends to get early fall or late spring frosts.
Best strategy:
Bring any tropical houseplants or annuals under cover of a porch or into a garage.
In spring, large containers of petunias that are not cold-hardy or any fruiting crops in flower like apples or strawberries, can be covered with light cloths like reemay (spun polyester). Old sheets will also work to prevent flower or fruit damage. Pansy and viola flowers may get somewhat burnt around the edges but frost won’t kill the plants. More about frost tenderness of flowers.
In fall, annuals in large containers or larger sensitive vegetable plants (tomato, eggplant, squash, beans, etc.) growing in the garden can also be covered with light cloths like reemay (spun polyester) or old sheets.
Plastic can be used only if the plastic doesn’t touch the plants.
To avoid breaking long flower stems, insert a stake into containers to hold up cloth. Weigh down cloth edges with rocks to prevent a breeze from taking the cloths.
We have reemay fabric 12ft. wide and sold by the yard if you need some.
Your Garden in the Fall
Still-warm soil and relatively cool air temperatures promote healthy root growth in plants that return each year. Check out our Fall gardening tips.
Fall Articles