5 Garden Tips for Surviving Spring Frosts

As plants break dormancy toward spring, fluctuating temperatures can leave them vulnerable to cold snaps. Luckily, there are some easy things you can do to help ensure your plants will make it through this precarious time of year...

• Don’t let your plants dry out – especially when frost can happen. Watering will help hold heat in the soil and protect roots from damage.
• Mulch your established areas making sure the roots are covered. If you don’t have time or money to get mulch at the store, simply use leaves or grass clippings from your yard!
• If a heavy frost is expected, cover susceptible plants with sheets, burlap or blankets. Use stakes, or whatever you can find to prop up your covering so as not to crush your plants or transfer cold from the covering to the leaves. Get creative, use upside down garden chairs, kids play-yard toys (like a tyke slide), plastic milk crates, or whatever you can find to help shield your precious plants.
• Hold the pruning and fertilizing of your tender plants until after the threat of frosts desists. Both of these actions stimulate new growth that can be especially susceptible to frost bite.

For gardeners, spring time is often the most exciting season of the year. By following these simple guidelines you will help get the growing season off to a great start! Happy planting!