The Easy Solution For Protecting Plants From Late Spring Frost

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Have you ever found yourself running around the yard at night, throwing sheets over your tender plants because a late spring frost is in the forecast? You're not alone — many of us have been there. Correctly timing and preparing your garden after the last frost is always a gamble, and gardeners with spring fever know the pain of planting too soon. Figuring out when and how to direct sow seeds or plant starters is a bit of a leap of faith. However, one small change to your spring planting routine can make it easier to survive a late frost. Put your plants in pots and bring them indoors when temperatures fall. Yes, it's that simple.

With a bit of planning, you can add early-season color to the garden and not worry about losing your plants to an unanticipated frost. While it's true that potted plants are more susceptible to cold temperatures than those planted directly into the ground, potted plants are also far more mobile. You can pick them up and move them into the house, garage, or basement to keep them protected from cold temperatures. You can even move them into a car, where they will still get sunlight but be safe from frost. Potting plants instead of putting them in the ground is an incredibly easy way to be prepared for the danger of frost, and you can always move them to the ground once you're confident the danger of frost has passed. However, there are a few things to think about.

First, consider the size of the pot. If you mostly have small pots, moving them should be easy. If you have pots that are too big to move, consider putting them on wheels. Something like this Wood Plant Caddy with Wheels will make it easy to roll those heavy plants to a safer location. It's also worth thinking about what plants you're putting in those pots. Will they transplant easily? Or will the shock set them back?

Additionally, you will want to consider where the plants will go if they need to be moved. If you have a big garage, this may not be an issue, but others should consider how much space they realistically have to store plants in case of a frost. If you don't have room to bring your pots inside, you can move them to a sheltered location and then cover them with fabric to add another layer of protection. Putting plants in a centralized location should make it easier to cover them all. Also, keep in mind that covering your plants during a frost is not a foolproof way to protect them, so you need all the help you can get. Potting your plants also gives you an opportunity to get your plants off the ground where it's coldest, especially if you store them on a caddy.