Preparing for Frost


	Preparing for Frost/Freeze In the Garden

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Privacy Pledge

If frost or a freeze is in the forecast, gardeners will want to take precautions. Whether it's an early first frost or freeze in fall or a late last frost in spring, care for tender plantings is the same:

Cover tender plantings with a bedsheet or length of plastic sheeting. When using plastic make sure that the plastic does not come in contact with the plants (they could still freeze).
Secure any coverings to prevent wind from removing them
Remove protection after the sun comes up if temperatures are expected to rise above 32 degrees.
Remember that micro-climates play a big factor in frosts. Low lying areas with little daily sun exposure are more likely to frost over than others.

Here's a list of specific plants and their general frost-resistance:

Vegetables:

Hardy	Tolerant	Tender	Warm Loving
Asparagus	Beet	Snap Bean	Lima Bean
Collards	Broccoli	Sweet Corn	Cucumber
Endive	Brussels Sprouts	Tomato	Eggplant
Kale	Cabbage		Muskmelon
Kohlrabi	Carrot		Okra
Lettuce	Cauliflower		Pepper
Mustard	Celeriac		Pumpkin
Pea	Celery		Squash
Potato	Chard		Sweet Potato
Rhubarb	Onion		Watermelon
Rutabaga	Parsnip
Salsify	Radish
Spinach
Turnip

Flowers:

Hardy	Tolerant	Tender	Warm Loving
Corn Flower	Black Eyed Susan	Aster	Ageratum
Ornamental Cabbage	Calendula	Nicotiana	Balsam
Pansy	Coreopsis	Petunia	Begonia
Primrose	Dianthus	Scabiosa	Celosia
Violet	Snap Dragon	Statice	Cosmos
	Sweet Pea	Sweet Alyssum	Impatiens
	Torenia	Verbena	Lobelia
			Marigold
			Portulaca
			Phlox
			Salvia
			Vinca
			Zinnia

Source