How to Protect Flowers From Frost

The windless, cloudless and cold nights in fall, winter and spring mean frost has arrived and you need to take precautions to protect your flowers to avoid losing them to freezing. By preventing frost damage on your flowers, you not only save your flowers, you extend the flowers' growing season for several weeks or at least through the early frost.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Water around the flowers thoroughly in the late afternoon before nightfall. Watering helps the soil release moisture in the air around the flowers during the night, which causes the air to become slightly warmer and frost does not appear in that area.

2. Place an electric fan on the flowers at a low breeze, which prevents the cold air from being still and settling on the flowers, helping prevent the frost from forming.

3. Cover the flowers before dusk if it is too late to water the ground or hook up an electric fan. This is a good option when you hear at the last minute about a frost and have no time to make any other preparations. Cover the plants with a light weight material like sheet, plastic tarp, newspaper or cardboard.

4. Take the covers off the flowers the next morning when the frost has thawed. Light and fresh air can reach the plants now. You have saved your flowers for another day of beauty.

Tips & Warnings

• For smaller flowering plants, you can cover the plants with small glass jars, milk cartons or empty plant containers. Simply remember to remove the covers in the morning.
• Once the temperature reaches below 25 degrees Fahrenheit, there really is no way you are going to be able to protect your flowers.