How To Protect Your Plants From A Sudden Frost

As spring approaches, we can start to think about moving plants outdoors. But what do you do when a sudden frost is predicted, and your delicate plants are outside?

Here are some ideas you can implement quickly to protect your plants from sudden or late frosts.

Cloches

Cloches are commonly plastic or glass; they are essentially large bell jars that you place over your plants to protect them.

You can get them in various sizes, and they work well. The drawback is that you have to use them on each plant individually.

This can quickly get time-consuming and expensive, especially if you opt for glass cloches.

Homemade Cloches

If a cloche can be a plastic jar that you place over your plant, then can you simply not use any plastic item?

Well, yes, you can. Plastic bottles are a popular choice, as you can see above, but any plastic containers can be sued, something you can see in the photo below.

Here we can see a range of plastic items being used as cloches, including larger tubs and even plastic cups.

All of these cloches work in the same way, they are effectively a mini greenhouse that you place around your plant. They help to trap the warm air during the day and help protect against extreme temperatures.

Fleece

Fleece is one of the most popular ways to protect plants from frost. The material helps insulate the plants against cold temperatures.

They can be used in a tunnel, as you can see above or placed around individual plants.

With some more delicate plants, you don't want the fleece to come into contact with the plant as they can freeze this way. That is why tunnels are a popular choice, as they create a gap between your plants and the fleece.

Move Them To A Coldframe/Greenhouse

If your vulnerable plants are in pots, then the best way to protect them from an unexpected frost is to simply move them into a greenhouse or a cold frame.

A cold frame is usually a wooden box with a large glass lid that can be opened and closed. They are helpful in hardening off young plants.

You can leave the plants in a cold frame during the day with the lid open and then close it up at night to help protect your plants.

So there we have it, some great ideas to protect your plants against unexpected frosts. If you have your own methods, then I would love to hear about them in the comments down below!