How to Prepare the Garden for Freeze
Step 1: May be a bit obvious, but order your frost cloth!
Friends, sheets are no match for temps in the low 20’s. You need the real deal. Frost cover is a must.
Frost cloth is available on Amazon. Local nurseries also carry frost cover!
The frost cover we use for raised beds is 50’ long - so each pack can be cut and used for more than one garden bed.
Step 2: Harvest from and remove plants that are not going to survive a freeze.
I say this like it’s no big deal, but someone come hold me while I say good-bye to my plants!
Crazy how attached you can get to a tomato plant, right? Tell me I’m not the only one.
Bad news: some plants won’t make it no matter what you do with temps dropping into the low 20’s and possibly teens in a few days. It’s just too cold! Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, or any basil you may still have at this point will not survive freezing temps.
Good news: Our team covered a lot of gardens last December when it dropped into the teens and did not get above freezing for three-four days. The gardens with winter crops that we covered did really well! Covering your garden (if you use the right supplies and do it the right way can really make a difference)!
Best news of all: We start planting for spring the second week of February. We might be saying goodbye to tomato plants this week, but we will say hello to new tomato plants soon! Are you ready?
Step 3: Set up your hoops!
Fact: it will take you 19.5 times longer than you think it will take to get your hoops assembled and set up.
You know what will make you want to cry, curse, and question all your life decisions?
Setting your hoops up when it’s raining or almost freezing outside. Ask me how I know. 🤣
Get a head start and get those hoops set up and ready!
Step 4: Harvest from the plants your are leaving in the garden.
Time for a jumbo salad and some pesto!!
In Step 2 we harvested and REMOVED the plants that won’t make it during a hard freeze even if you cover them.
Now it’s time to harvest heavily from the plants you’re going to cover.
1. Never harvest more than 1/3 of the plant.
2. Only harvest heavily if a freeze is still a few days out. 24 hours before a freeze you should not overly harvest a plant you’re trying to save from freezing temps.
3. Harvesting and pruning plants a couple days before a freeze takes a load off (literally) from the plant. While stressed from the weather, the plant has less to feed.
4. Use the cut-and-come-again method for kale, lettuces, Swiss chard, Bok Choy, collard greens, and mustard greens. Harvest the outside lower leaves, not the whole plant!
5. Harvest a healthy amount of your herbs like oregano, thyme, parsley, sage, cilantro, and dill.
Step 5: Cover the garden with frost cloth.
Make sure to use lots of landscaping pins to tuck in the plants and secure the cloth! You will not want the cool air to get through.
Got questions? We are happy to help!
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