By
eHow Home & Garden Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- Shredded bark, leaves or straw
- Canvas
- Nylon netting
- Stake
- Hook and eyes
- Old shower curtain, tarp or unfolded newspapers
- Lightweight fleece
Step1
Spread two to three inches of shredded bark, leaves or straw around plants to help the soil maintain a warm temperature. Mulching plants is a great way to protect hardy plants and help control weeds at the same time.
Step2
Keep beds moist and free of weeds to head off frost damage in spring. The moisture helps heat rise from the soil on chilly nights and warms the plants.
Step3
Protect vines on walls with a removable shade. Measure a sheet of canvas or nylon netting large enough to cover the plants completely and attach it to a stake. Mount the stake on the wall with hooks and eyes and let the shade hang to the ground. Pull up the shade when it is warm and lower it in late afternoon to help conserve heat.
Step4
Drape an old shower curtain, tarp or unfolded newspapers over plants if an unexpected light frost catches you unprepared.
Step5
Protect young spring sprouts in the vegetable garden with floating row covers. Simply lay lightweight fleece over the top of the plants before nightfall. Young leaves touching the fleece may sustain slight damage if the fabric freezes but row covers are effective against frost even if temperatures drop below the freezing mark.
Step6
Run the sprinkler over tender plants all night when frost is predicted. Water gives off heat as it condenses to ice and will keep the plants warmer than the air.
