Tonight’s forecast includes a chance of possible frost. Here are tips and guidelines for how to protect plants from frost. We have listed guidelines on how to cover your investment of annuals, herbs, vegetable plants, perennials and shrubs. For more information, tune into 19 Action News at 5PM today where Lisa Graf will be telling homeowners what they need to cover and how to do it!
Perennials and Shrubs
If you have planted perennials and shrubs, your plants should be safe and okay. The only caveat with that is if your shrubs and perennials are in bloom. The actual plant will be okay if we receive frost, but their blooms may not be. If you are concerned about keeping their blooms, we recommend that you cover them. The plants that may be blooming now include azaleas, rhododendrons, rose bushes, etc.
Annuals, Vegetable Plants, Herbs
When there could be a possible frost the real plants to be concerned about are annuals, tropicals, herbs and vegetable plants. If you have your container gardens and hanging baskets planted, we recommend that you move them into your garage or gardening shed where they will be protected and then water them. If they are too heavy to lift, we suggest you cover them with bed sheets.
If you have planted your annuals and vegetable plants in garden beds, we recommend that you thoroughly water them and then cover them.
How to Cover your Plants
The first step in covering your plants to protect them from frost is to water them thoroughly. Watering them is a preventative step that provides even more protection viktig länk. Do this before the temperature drops too low into the lower 40’s and upper 30’s. After all of your plants have been watered, we suggest that you use plant stakes and old bed sheets or blankets. Cardboard boxes can be used as well. We recommend that you do NOT use plastic to cover your plants as the frost can permeate the plastic and reach your plants.
It is best to create a tent over your plants using the plant stakes and bed sheets and then using rocks or bricks to hold the bed sheets in place. Lawn chairs come in very handy when covering plants. You can use them to create a tent over the plants.
Plants that are very susceptible to cold damage and frost are:
- Sweet Potato Vine
- Basil – all varieties
- Bedding and vining Vinca
- New Guinea Impatiens
- Sun Patiens
- Gardenias
- Any Tropical Plants such as mandevilla, hibiscus, ensete
What are we doing to prepare?
Here at Graf Growers, we are bringing in all of our annual hanging baskets, plants, flats and tropicals. We will be covering all of our blooming perennials and shrubs as well as any other tender plants that are not ready for cold temperatures and frost. For more information, tune into 19 Action News at 5PM today where Lisa Graf will be telling homeowners what they need to cover and how to do it!
