Cheap Frost Protection

Cheap Frost Protection

With winters dreary, frost is not the friendliest visitor to your yard. You don't have to spend a fortune on expensive hardware or materials to help keep your plants safe. It is not costly to maintain your garden if you are creative and creative. We give you a simple guide to frostproofing your plants on a budget, with three beautiful plants you probably already have.

Cheap Ways For Frost Protection

1. Frost Covers Can Be Made Using What You Already Have (as I Say: Recycle and Reuse).

Using everyday household items is also one of the cheapest solutions for insulating plants against frost. Frozen covers are excellent, from bedsheets, burlap sacks, and lightweight blankets. They are insulation materials that will retain heat from the soil in front of your plants.

Attach your covers with rocks, bricks, or garden stakes. Don't touch the plants with the covers; it will rot them. Instead, build a tent out of stakes or an upside-down tomato cage to keep the material up.

For small plants, plastic pots, buckets, or cardboard boxes will do. Cover the plant in the container in the evening and remove it when the frost danger has abated. Plastic isn't fantastic-don't let it swell, freezing your plants.

2. Watering and Mulching: A Double-Backstop.

Many gardeners forget to water before frost. Wet soil will hold more heat than dry soil, so your plants can stay warm when temperatures drop. Water your plant beds in the morning before the frost so the water can soak in.

Mulching is another cheap way to protect plants from frost. Pour a thick layer of organic mulch (stumbler, pine needles, or shredded leaves) on the bottom of your plants. Mulch is insulation as well as moisture and temperature control for the soil.

Regarding perennials such as Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum), mulch around the roots to keep the soil from freezing, allowing the plant to withstand the winter.

3. Creating Microclimates with Low-Cost Materials

If you have very frost-prone plants, microclimates can be lifesavers. Create mini-greenhouses or cloches from cheap materials such as clear plastic sheeting or row covers. These makeshift houses hold heat and keep your plants from freezing.

The hoop wires or the PVC pipes can be turned into frames for plastic sheets. Line the edges with rocks or soil so cold air can't escape. For small plants, cut the top off a plastic soda bottle and cloche it around the plant. This works particularly well for plants more petite than a foot, such as Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor), which is insulated and dry with moisture.

Wrap the base in burlap or frost cloth if the shrubs are more extensive or the tree is still young. Plants such as the Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana), a well-known evergreen, do best when protected for a few years in its early life.

Additional Tips for Frost Protection

When to Use: Cover plants in the evening to keep them warm, but open them in the morning so that they get some sunlight and air.

Pair Plants Together: Put potted plants in groups next to a wall or fence for heat and shade.

Potted Plants Indoors: If you can, move potted plants indoors into a garage, shed, or porch so that they do not freeze.

Why Frost Protection is Important for Plants

Frost can freeze cell walls and break them in plants, resulting in stunted growth, blackened foliage, or plant death. If you take the time to protect your garden from frost, you can guarantee that it thrives through difficult times.

You can also use plants such as Jacob's Ladder, Blue Flag Iris, and Virginia Pine to make your garden look nice and structured all year round. When you do, not only will you preserve your investment, but you'll be guaranteed the joy of the season for years to come.

One Final Word on Garden Stability

Gardening on a budget doesn't have to mean cutting corners regarding your plants and how they are treated. You can even make your garden thrive when cold by using simple, inexpensive solutions such as recycling household waste, mulching, and microclimates. Take on winter with creativity, and your plants will love you for it come spring.

Back to blog