When Jack Frost is busy nipping at your nose, he’s probably nipping away at your plants, too. Just like people, some types of plants are sensitive to the cold. When there’s a chance for frost, unprotected plants can become damaged as the water contained inside the tissues of their stems, leaves and petals becomes crystallized and can no longer travel. This causes plants to shrivel up or turn brown or black in color. When your local weather forecaster calls for a chance of spring frost, there are several things you can do to defend your plants.

Where your plants are located on your property has a lot to do with how they will react to frost. Plants located in low-lying areas often fall prey to frost because the cool, dense air settles there. Plants not surrounded by heartier growth, such a wall of trees or bushes, are also likely to fall victim to frost if conditions are suitable.

The severity of frost determines how you should protect your plants. For example, during a light frost, you may only need to drape a bed sheet or burlap sheet directly over your tender plants to protect them. A harder frost often calls for a bed sheet, blanket or plastic sheet to be propped up and over the plants (not touching them at all) with tall stakes, then secured to the ground with rocks or bricks. This helps insulate the plants inside. Individual plants can be covered with milk jugs, plastic cups or glass jars. Always remember to remove any coverings early in the morning to let in oxygen and sunlight and to prevent the plants from becoming overheated.

Potted plants can be stored overnight inside of your home, shed or garage until the next morning. To protect low plantings from frost damage, you can cover them in a layer of mulch. Once the frost has passed the next morning, gently uncover the plantings. Some types of plants can be watered the day before an expected frost, as the water moistens the soil and helps trap heat overnight. It’s best to check with a professional landscaping business, such as Neighbourhood Landscaping Inc, to ensure that your plants are safe to water before a frost. Some plants, like succulents, should never be watered before a frost.

It is important that you do not overreact to plants damaged by spring frost. Many types of plants are able to bounce back from minor frost damage. Do not clip off damaged leaves or dig up damaged plants immediately following a frost. Clipping off damaged leaves exposes undamaged layers to future frosts. Give your plant some time to heal and develop new growth before removing damaged parts. You may also be able to gently wash frost crystals off of a plant with a hose, especially if the sun hasn’t warmed the plant up yet. Washing a plant with frost damage that is already warmed up by the sun can cause irreversible tissue damage.