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Cold Weather Tips

acrewoodflowers

Our first ever snow at our house back in 2016, a little over a year after we moved in. The garden wasn't even there yet!
Our first ever snow at our house back in 2016, a little over a year after we moved in. The garden wasn't even there yet!

I wanted to take a second to discuss protecting your plants during cold weather and frozen precipitation. Below are some of the things I do to keep my flowers, vegetables, and landscape plantings going strong through the toughest days of winter.


I use row covers (also known as frost cloth) over my rows of flowers when it gets below freezing and/or is windy. Many of these flowers can stand very low temperatures, but do better with a little extra TLC. If we get into the low teens and single digits, I cover each row with 2 covers, giving me about 12 degrees of cold weather protection.
I use row covers (also known as frost cloth) over my rows of flowers when it gets below freezing and/or is windy. Many of these flowers can stand very low temperatures, but do better with a little extra TLC. If we get into the low teens and single digits, I cover each row with 2 covers, giving me about 12 degrees of cold weather protection.

My first tip is to find out the winter hardiness of your plants. A simple Google search of "winter hardiness zone for _____" should give you the info you need. We're zone 8a, and our zone's low range is 10-15 degrees. Since it won't be getting below that in the 10 day forecast, there's no need to protect plants with a winter hardiness of zone 8a or lower/higher. However, if a plant is hardy to zone 8b or higher, you should consider covering it with a sheet, bucket, or frost cloth. 


An old sheet will certainly work in a pinch, but a more long-term solution would be to invest in some frost cloth. It's designed to allow water and light to penetrate so can be left on plants for days to weeks without issue during cold spells. Look for something with a cloth weight of 1.2oz - this will give you 6-8 degrees of protection. Use bricks, stones, sandbags, or logs to weigh the cloth down so it doesn't blow away.


The frost cloth exception: If we're going to receive ANY form of frozen precipitation and the ground is cold enough for it to stick, remove your covers. Snow and ice act like a frost cloth and make a blanket on the plants that actually protects them from cold air temperatures. When snow and/or ice accumulate on frost cloth it weighs it down and can smother your plants. 


My garden back in January 2022. Although the plants look pitiful, as soon as the sun came out and the ice melted they perked right up. They very much enjoyed the slow, deep watering they got from the melting sleet/ice.
My garden back in January 2022. Although the plants look pitiful, as soon as the sun came out and the ice melted they perked right up. They very much enjoyed the slow, deep watering they got from the melting sleet/ice.

If you have small plants that are low to the ground, covering them in  a layer of leaves or straw will help insulate them. Strawberries will especially benefit from this (hence the name STRAWberries). 


Potted plants freeze quicker and are more susceptible to cold damage than ones planted in the ground. Bring sensitive potted plants into a garage or utility room to keep them protected. Place them closest to the wall of the house to keep them warmer. 


Another tip is that if the soil is dry, make sure to water your plants well ahead of cold weather. Hydrated plants do way better in cold than thirsty ones. 


Lastly- if you walk outside and your beautiful bed of pansies or snapdragons looks like a flat, frozen, dark green pancake, don't panic! Chances are very high that your popsicle plants will pop right back up once they have a chance to thaw out.

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