Hobby gardeners should now take some measures to protect their plants from frost. Frost in April can affect many plants and is particularly damaging to tender new growth and blooms in the spring. You can reduce the risk by taking a few simple steps that will protect plants from frost.
How to protect plants from frost in April
There are a number of ways to protect your plants from frost in spring:
- Less sensitive plants should be planted in a warm and sunny location, such as a south-facing wall, which provides additional warmth and protection in winter.
- Cover the plants with a double layer of garden wool or other suitable protection if frosts are expected.
- Mulch the root zone of evergreens, conifers, tender shrubs and tender perennials with a thick layer of organic material to prevent ground frost.
- During cold weather, place container plants in a sheltered spot in the garden and wrap the pot in bubble wrap for additional protection.
- Allow the growth of more tender plants, such as: B. the wood anemone, stand until spring, as it provides valuable frost protection in winter.
- Delicate plants can be lifted or moved to a more protected location or a greenhouse. If this is not possible, you can protect them by e.g. B. wrap with bananas and tree ferns.
- Remove tender perennials such as dahlias, cannas, pelargoniums and fuchsias before the first frosts.
- Protect fruit and strawberries from frost by wrapping them with willow branches or straw.
- Avoid applying nitrogen-rich fertilizers at the end of the season. They promote soft, succulent growth that is particularly susceptible to frost damage.
- Plants exposed to early morning sun may thaw too quickly after a frost. This can cause damage to flowers and young growth. Especially camellias andMagnolia flowers can survive a single frostbe destroyed.
- Plant tender bedding plants after danger of frost has passed. Always harden off plants before putting them outdoors.
- Ensure tender plants are safely overwintered in the greenhouse by providing adequate heating or insulation.
How can plants protect themselves from frost?
Plants can survive frosts through several mechanisms:
- Sometimes the bark can insulate living water-conducting tissue (much as water pipes are insulated) to prevent the water in the cells from freezing.
- Some plants accumulate substances, such as certain sugars and amino acids, that act as antifreezes and lower the freezing temperature of cell contents.
- A more effective mechanism is the ability of some plants to “refreeze” their cell contents, when the cell contents remain liquid despite falling below the freezing point. To achieve this, plants must experience several days of cold weather before they freeze, and this explains why even hardy plants can be damaged by a sudden fall frost.
Symptoms that plants are frozen
Sometimes frost damage occurs almost immediately after frost. However, this is not always the case and for some plants, particularly woody plants, the damage may take several months to appear. Look out for the following signs:
- Spring frosts can damage tender young growth, causing burns and pale brown spots between leaf veins. This usually happens on the exposed and upper edges of the plant.
- Severe frosts in winter can cause burns and browning of the leaves of hardy evergreens, which can ultimately lead to the death of the plant.
- The leaves ofdelicate perennials such as dahliasand cannas can turn black with the first fall frost. The stems usually fall off.
- Spring frosts can damage flowers and young fruits. This can lead to the fruit, e.g. B. in the apple, a layer of cork forms, and damage to the flower can result in little or no fruit formation.
- As a result of late spring frosts, summer bedding plants and tender vegetables such as potatoes and tomatoes can suffer from leaf burns, browning and even complete plant death.
- Longer periods of frost can occur for some shrubs, such as: B. Photinia and Gharial, cause leaf spots.
- The leaves of some plants that show early signs of frost damage appear water-soaked and dark green and turn black over time.
Treating plants for frost damage
Most gardeners will agree that it's easy to be caught off guard by frost. And sometimes frost damage is simply unavoidable. What should be done if damage has occurred?
- When no further frosts are expected, cut back the damaged growth by cutting it back to the undamaged side branch or bud.
- After pruningan all-purpose fertilizerApply at the rate recommended by the manufacturer to promote vigorous regrowth.
- If the fence or hedge forms “frost pockets,” consider creating a gap or removing some of the lower growth to improve cold air drainage.
- Frost can rip newly planted shrubs out of the ground, so you should control and reinforce the soil around them.
- In gardens exposed to cold winds, consider creating more shelter by planting a shelterbelt.
- The leaves of gerbera and cinnamon may have blackened from the cold, but their roots are still alive and can be protected or pulled out and stored.
Important:Leave a plant that has suffered frost damage for now. Many plants are amazingly resilient and rejuvenate from dormant buds at or below the ground. This takes time, so recovery may not occur until early summer. If it is a high qualityplantor the gap does not necessarily need to be filled, you should leave the damaged plant in the ground until midsummer. If no new growth has formed by then, replace the plant.
