Garden Hacks That Won't Actually Protect Your Plants From Frost

As the weather gets chilly and frost warnings make the rounds, most gardeners become concerned about their plants' winter protection. Fortunately, if you've religiously followed the "right plant, right place" principle and selectively grown frost-hardy varieties, not much effort is expected on your part. But if you've got a heady mix of tropical plants, succulents, and frost-sensitive individuals, such as citrus, lantana, asters, zinnias, or marigolds, you must follow well-meaning tips for protecting your plants from frost. Similar measures are essential when the weather behaves abnormally. For instance, you must act swiftly if an unplanned frost settles in your yard.

Regrettably, because of budgetary economics or a hankering for DIY fixes, plenty give into the cacophony of popular gardening hacks populating their social feeds. After all, why bother expending time, money, and energy hunting for breathable fabric at the garden center when you could just throw on a plastic tarp — or worse, a garbage bag? Likewise, repurposing your outdoor Christmas lights by stringing them over trees or shrubs for frost protection isn't necessarily a stroke of genius. 

When temperatures approach 28 degrees Fahrenheit, it's your cue to insulate your frost-sensitive plants. No matter what cover material you choose, whether it's spare bedsheets or old blankets from your dearest grandma, steer clear of plastic coverings. You should avoid plastic on the off chance you forget to remove it first thing in the morning. Clean plastic behaves like a greenhouse, building up more heat than breathable covers. This heat can burn the leaves if they're touching the covering directly. Likewise, a slight delay in removal can result in condensation build-up, which can cause the plants to freeze. Given their plastic composition, this is why garbage bags won't protect your plants from frost. If time is of the essence and plastic tarps are all you have, erect stakes, drape blankets around them, then add the tarps for immediate protection.

Similarly, wrapping protective covers on your juvenile trees won't keep in the heat if the covers don't reach the soil. The point or wrapping a plant is to trap the earth's heat, which is unlikely to happen if the cover solely wraps your tree's boughs and foliage with no regard for the container or roots. Do your plants a favor and extend the fabric covering to the ground.

Finally, heating your plants with holiday lights is no longer a viable solution for combating frost. This trick might've worked in the past, when incandescent lights were the norm against short-lived light frosts. Unfortunately, the newer LED and CFL bulbs just don't produce the temperatures needed to keep the plants warm.