Frost Protection

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Your growing season runs from your last frost date in the spring until your first frost date in the fall. When you’re gardening near the beginning and end of the growing season, you’ll watch the weather every day for frost warnings and provide frost protection to your crops when they need it.

As far as frost protection goes, you have several choices.

A cold frame over a raised bed. Ready for growing during the should seasons.

Frost Blankets - A great choice for small gardens, as they’re inexpensive, light, easy to trim, store, and apply. To use, cover plants with frost blankets each night and remove them during the day.

Mulch - If you’re using lots of light mulch like straw, it can be heaped up over smaller plants to provide overnight frost protection. Uncover the plants during the day.

Cloches - A bell-shaped cover made of glass or clear plastic (think of the enchanted rose in beauty and the beast). Cloches act like a greenhouse and don’t necessarily need to be removed during the day. However, air and moisture must be allowed to circulate so consider propping them up or opening the vent on top if it has one. Close them up again overnight.

Cold Frames - A great choice for larger spaces. A cold frame is like a mini greenhouse that sits directly over a small garden bed or container. Depending on the materials used, cold frames can provide enough insulation to keep growing long into the cold season.

Greenhouses - Greenhouses can range from a small shelf enclosed by clear plastic walls to huge glasshouses capable of feeding the whole family. If you have the space, a greenhouse is an excellent way to extend your growing season.

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