How do you protect your plants from cold weather?

How do you protect your plants from cold weather?

It’s brutally cold on the US east coast and in many other parts of the country. And I hear overseas is also suffering from below normal temperatures, snow and frost.

So you will need to take extra care of your plants that are outdoors. In my zone 5 climate I bring most plants in but I do have some new perennials outdoors and a few potted shrubs. To protect them I put a layer of straw over top of them and a few I made burlap covers for the rest.

Snow will also act as an insulation so let them get covered if you are having abundant snow.

If you’re in an area that usually does not get deep cold spells or frost, bring in what plants you can to a garage or extra room. If you can’t move the plants cover them with plastic or old blankets. Bales of straw that surrounds a plant will also work. You could even place straw bales in a square and cover the entire square with a blanket or plastic.

Plastic milk bottles filled with warm water and placed around your plant and covered with a blanket will keep temperatures warmer and protect a plant over night.

Garden Tip: When you cover a plant, shrub or small tree – make sure your cover will not blow away in the wind. Weight it down with bricks, rocks or stake it in place.

Cold snaps do not usually last long so just keep an eye on temperatures and cover the plants when necessary.