Protecting vegetables from the first frost
Gardens are the pride and joy of the people who create them. They aren't just a source of food but they symbolize hard work and determination. Anyone who has had a garden will tell you that it is hard work but it is always worth the effort for the delicious fresh foods that come from it. Sometimes frost can ruin a garden. Here are some ways that we can all prevent losing our food to the frost.
Firstly you always want to be watching the weather. When it gets later on in the year make sure that you watch the nightly weather report or read the newspaper. Frost can occur even when it is only forty degrees. If you don't take the time to know what the weather is going to be then you might lose your crop. Sometimes weather reports can be wrong so if it is going to be forty three degrees then you might still want to take some precautions. Also temperatures are different depending on how high up you are. If you are in a valley and the weather report comes from up on a small mountain, you probably wouldn't be safe if they said the low temperature was going to be forty five.
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There is a product called Wall-O-Water that protects plants. You put it on when you think there may be a frost and then leave it on during the day. The warm weather heats up the Wall-O-Water and helps to protect the plant at night. You have to use one for each of your plants. So if you have a small garden or only a small area that you want to use the Wall-O-Water then it might be a great idea. But there are a lot more economical and easier ways to protect your garden.
If you have rows of vegetables you can just put a special frost blanket over the row. You have to take it off during the day when it's warm but it is more economical than using something for each of the plants.
If you don't want to use a frost blanket you can also use sheets or a light blanket. You can't use a heavy blanket because that will damage the plant even more. You can also use a plastic sheet but you can't let any of the leaves touch the plastic or the leaves will be ruined. Just lay the sheets on top of the plants and make sure that they are covered.
If your plants do have some frost on them you can try sprinkling some water on them. You have to sprinkle water on them before the sun comes up and have to continue to sprinkle them until the temperatures get above freezing. This might help you plants live but the best way to make sure you don't have frost on your plants is to watch the weather and put blankets on.
Frost can come when the sky is clear and when there isn't wind. That is how it usually accumulates and ruins plants. It doesn't just come when a snow storm is predicted or if snow might come the next day. You want to be careful at all times. Sometimes frost can come early in the spring when you have just planted. Make sure you are still watching the weather report and be prepared to do whatever you can to make sure that your plants aren't harmed by the frost.
