Frost Threatens – How to Protect Our Gardens

Frost protection for seedlings in winter and pest protection in spring and summer and fall.

First paperwhite heralds the winter season along with always-blooming-somethwere-in-my-garden amaranth.

The last aster

Oro Gold grapefruit

Cuphea bloom following fall pruning

Feverfew blooming all year long

First figs set already!

Emu plant in all its blooming glory

Sweet peppers continue setting blossoms and fruit through our winter

Peruvian Daffodill, Spider Lily, Hymenocallis festalis

Potatoes sprouting in tire. When the foliage gets another six inches taller, I'll add the next tire and fill in compost to provide more potato-developing space

Plectranthus ground cover color

Mary Lou Heard rose

Tatsoi - full size on the right, harvested on the left

Tatsoi harvest - rinse several times in cold water

Tatsoi harvest - let drip dry in collander

Tatsoi harvest - pack loosely in ziplock bags and refrigerate. Will stay crisp for up to two weeks.

     Now that we’ve passed Thanksgiving, which is the average first frost date for us here in Pasadena and other foothill locales, and we have snow on the San Gabriel mountains down to about 3000 feet, we gardeners start paying much closer attention to nighttime temperature forecasts and their threat of frost. 
     Even with another cold and wet storm promised for later this week, our gardens do have one big advantage this year – the soil is already thoroughly saturated from the 1.5 inches of rain we’ve had from last week’s storm.  This means that plant and tree roots and foliage are fully hydrated and therefore able to withstand at least minimal freezing-temperature chill. 
     A nice relief after so many years of drought! 
     Of course, our Southern California drought will never really end since we live where we do, but at least our plants are going into the chill of this winter with their cells full of protective water!
     Here are some other protective techniques to employ in our gardens, should the weather warrant it on dry, windless, clear nights:

• Protect citrus and other subtropicals from cold damage by wrapping the tree trunks in newspaper.
• Cover tender plant and tree foliage like bougainvilleas, fuchsias, hibiscus and citrus with plastic sheeting.
• Bubble wrap offers even more protection than plastic sheeting because of its bubbles filled with air.
• Because cold “falls” straight down when there’s no breeze, prop up sheeting directly over the tree or plant.  
• However, prop it away from touching the foliage, or it will easily conduct the freezing temperatures directly to the foliage.
• Provide mini-greenhouses made from clear plastic milk or water jugs with their caps removed and their bottoms cut off. Place the jugs over seedlings, pressing the jugs about one-half inch deep into the soil to prevent the entry of pests such as cutworms at the soil level.  Push 18-inch-long stakes through the top hole down into the soil to lessen the chance of the jug being blown away during windy gusts.
• Use tomato cage forms to cover with spun-bonded fabric (usually used as row covers to keep out insects) to allow light and moisture in but keep frost out.
• Move dish cacti and succulents and potted trees under cover for protection from cold and rain.
• Appropriate to the season, if you still have any of the incandescent holiday lights, entwine plants so their slight heat will keep frost away.  Be sure to keep the light away from flammable materials, and fully insulate the connections from moisture.

 
For other garden tasks and opportunities this month, see Monthly Tips.