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Keeping Your Garden Alive During Cold Weather
October 14, 2024 at 12:55 PM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Molly Robinson
With cold weather season upon us, that means extra care is needed for your garden and plants.
Sharp temperature drops can have adverse effects on plants, often times causing them to die. This can occur when water freezes inside plant’s cells, ultimately destroying the plant from the inside. Younger plants experience cold temperature effects the worst due to their weak strength and structure. Death in plants can also occur when water freezes outside of the plant and surrounding soil, which can interfere with the water supply. Enzyme activity decreases in cold weather, leading to a disruption in the plant’s nutrient intake and causing stunted growth or plant death.
Here are ways to protect your garden and plants to make sure they make it through the cold.
Source: envii.co.uk
Image by Siegfried Poepperl from Pixabay
Sharp temperature drops can have adverse effects on plants, often times causing them to die. This can occur when water freezes inside plant’s cells, ultimately destroying the plant from the inside. Younger plants experience cold temperature effects the worst due to their weak strength and structure. Death in plants can also occur when water freezes outside of the plant and surrounding soil, which can interfere with the water supply. Enzyme activity decreases in cold weather, leading to a disruption in the plant’s nutrient intake and causing stunted growth or plant death.
Here are ways to protect your garden and plants to make sure they make it through the cold.
- Avoid early morning sunshine: Early morning sun can cause plants to defrost too quickly and become limp. Position your plants away from early sunlight, essentially avoiding east facing areas, to prevent a quick defrost.
- Protect your plants as soon as you plant them: This will give your garden the best chance at survival during harsh winter conditions. This is done by the process of “hardening”, which means gradually exposing them to the cold environment in the garden to build their tolerance to cold temperatures. Also be conscious of the climate and stick with native plants that have been proven to last through winters.
- Consider using frost blankets: These are specialty fabrics used to protect from frost. They trap in heat and moisture, allowing your plants to extend their growing season. However, they can be expensive pending the amount of plants that need to be covered. Other options to cover can be sheets or buckets that can be more inexpensive.
- Pay attention to the forecast: When frost conditions are predicted, be sure to water your soil one or two days ahead of time as wet soil is more resistant than dry soil.
Source: envii.co.uk
Image by Siegfried Poepperl from Pixabay