The key to extending your growing season is knowing how to protect your garden from frost. This is the 7th video in our Cool Season Garden Series. Now that you know when and what to cover in your garden today we are going to learn how to protect your garden from frost. This video will teach you the 9th characteristic of a High Performance Garden Extended Growing Season. Join me in the garden to learn about what to use in your garden to protect your plants from frost!

There are several types of frost protection that you can use protect your garden from frost. The first cover you will need will be something to trap the radiant heat coming out of the soil. This is the cloth cover layer. There are several different types that will protect your garden at different temperatures. You can purchase Johnny’s Selected Seeds frost covers online at a great price. When you are selecting your covers make sure you have the correct temperature cover. There are lightweight, medium weight and frost blankets. Make sure you purchase what you need, depending on how long you will be extending your growing season. Great alternatives to purchasing cloth covers are  towels, sheets and bedspreads from your home.  

It is important to not allow your cloth covers to rest on top of your plants. The frost can penetrate the blankest and freeze parts of the plants that the blanket is directly touching.  Also the covers can smash the plants especially if you get snow or rain on top of the covers. I use concrete wire and bend it over my bed to create a hoop. You can also build a no-tools required Easy Trellis. This easily doubles as a cold frame as well as a trellis for growing vertically in the warmer months.

The next layer of protection for covering your plants will be plastic. Once your cloth becomes wet from snow or rain we know that it will lose its insulating properties. Placing a sheet of plastic over your cloth cover will prevent this from happening. Any type of plastic or tarp will work.  I use old greenhouse film.  If you know of someone who has greenhouses chances are they have some old film laying around and will give you some.

Make sure to secure your cover by tying it down or resting bricks along the edges. I have spent too many nights out in the freezing wind in my pajamas trying to get the plants recovered because the wind blew the covers off. It’s important to get covered!

The best practice for when you use these methods to protect your garden from frost is to make sure you uncover the plants as soon as the sun is out and the air temperature warms up. If it is cold and rainy you can just leave the covers on for another night.

Now that you have the tools to cover your garden it’s time to go get ready for a frost. You don’t want to be caught unawares in your garden and frantically trying to protect your garden from frost late at night. You know that the frost is coming and you know which plants you want to save so go get ready.

As you cover your plants as your gardening year comes to a close, do you dream and wonder about the next year? If you are interested in a virtually weed free organic garden that is twice as productive in half of the space, you will want to learn more about the Leafy Greens Container Garden or the Abundance Garden Course to begin your high performance garden today!

Until next time may your garden be easy, fun, productive and always organic!

Lynn

Email me any questions you have about protecting your garden from a frost. Let’s cover your garden together!