How to protect plants from frost

It’s probably worth noting that the majority of your herbaceous perennials and shrubs, probably don’t require winter protection at all.

In fact, many of these plants benefit from the cold winter reset as an essential part of their life cycle.

Plus the winter chill plays a crucial role in eliminating pests and diseases that thrive during warmer weather.

But if you have borderline hardy plants, or it's forecast to be particularly cold, here are some ways you can protect your plants from frost:

Mulching

As general good practice though mulching is a simple yet effective way to insulate the soil and protect plant roots from freezing temperatures. Apply a layer of mulch, such as compost or well-rotted manure, around the base of your plants to protect them over winter.

It's best not to mulch on to frozen ground as this can actually trap the cold in the soil and leaving plant roots exposed to freezing conditions for longer. So make sure any mulching is done before the ground freezes.

Wrapping

You may also want to wrap less hardy plants to keep the worst of the cold off. The best material for this job is garden fleece. Also known as horticultural fleece, is a lightweight, breathable fabric, which can help trap warmer air as well as preventing wind damage and direct frost damage.

Cloches

Cloches create a small, sheltered microclimate around your plants. From plastic domes to simple DIY covers, they’re quick to put in place and highly effective during sudden cold snaps. They’re also useful in early spring, when new growth needs a little extra protection

Special mention - Potted Plants

Potted plants, can be more vulnerable to cold, especially if there is a prolonged period of below freezing weather. Often it’s the combination of water-logged soil and freezing temperatures that does the damage, rather than the cold alone. To protect plants in pots:

• Improve drainage by elevating them with chocks or pieces of wood

• If possible provide some shelter to prevent drenching and of course reduce or stop any watering you might have been doing

• If you have the flexibility to move containers, placing them against a south-facing wall provides additional protection

• Avoid Bubble Wrap and Non-Permeable Plastics. Water can still seep into the growing medium, and the trapped moisture may freeze, causing more harm than good. As mentioned above, garden fleece is better for wrapping.

Finally any particularly tender plants such as pelargoniums, cannas and some salvias really do need to be stored in a frost-free environment for winter.

Picture credit

Photo by Eugene Golovesov on Unsplash