Baby it’s cold outside

Keep your fragile plants and young seedlings safe from deadly frost this winter

One of the biggest killers of plants in winter is the frost — especially if the plants are young or not particularly hardy. It’s important to keep your fragile foliage safe from the frost, but sometimes specific protection tools can be expensive. There are many protective jackets and blankets made from fleece and plastic available to purchase, but if you would rather do it yourself, here are a few ideas.

For potted plants that are still quite young, such as seedlings, cover the top of the pot with cling wrap overnight. Make sure you remove the cling wrap during the day.

For seedlings or small plants in the ground, recycle plastic soda bottles. Clean out the bottle and remove any labels, then cut off the bottom third of the bottle body. Place the upper section of the bottle over the plant during the night and early morning, then remove when danger of frost is over during the day.

Reuse those old bed sheets. Instead of throwing them away or tearing them into rags, place old sheets over your garden beds during the frost-danger time. Just be careful when removing the sheet the next day, in case any of the plants catch on the fabric. Otherwise, use stakes to keep the fabric up off the plants. Finally, be wise in your planting. For any young seedlings or unestablished plants that are frost-damage prone, wait to cultivate them until the danger of frost is over. If you definitely can’t wait, cultivate your plants in a glass house or in a warm room indoors with plenty of fresh air.