Protect your Plants from Frost and Cold Weather this Winter

Extreme cold weather damages the walls of plant cells, as the water in the cells tend to freeze due to frost. Plants thus damaged look lifeless, limp, distorted and blackened. Tender leaves start sporting a translucent appearance and green plants turn brown in colour.

It is often the morning sun which worsens the problem of frost in plants. The cell walls rupture due to quick defrosting. As the soil freezes, we find that the sturdiest green plants too are damaged beyond repair. This happens because it becomes impossible for roots of the plants to absorb water as it is frozen. Lack of moisture eventually kills the plants.

Damage to delicate plants can be minimised by taking a few precautions. As a first step, it is best to avoid planting delicate and tender plants in your cold garden. A sturdier plant has more chances of surviving cold conditions.

Using fertilisers which has lesser nitrogen content is necessary as nitrogen results in growth of sappy leaves which are prone to easy damage due to frost.

If you do have tender plants, you can try and protect them by placing them under bigger trees or near a wall, where they are likely to get some heat.

Fleece covered frames can be used to protect tender plants as they are place against walls. They can be covered with a layer of straw or dry leaves placed between chicken wire during frost.

Herbaceous plants, corms and bulbs that are tender can be protected by covering with a layer of old leaves, manure or straw using gardening hand tools like the Wolf-Garten IE-M. This will prevent freezing of the soil. Covering the base of evergreen plants with straw ensures soil remains frost free. This prevents dehydration of the plants.

It is a good idea to plant tender plants in frost resistant containers. In extreme weather conditions, you can even move them inside. Taking enough precautions will ensure survival of your plants from frost and extreme cold weather.