The Difference BetweenFrost & Freeze
In our previous blog post we talked about how to put the garden to bed and how to get ready for these upcoming winter months!
Now here we are at the end of November getting ready for the upcoming cold and we thought we would share some helpful information about the difference between frost and freeze!
Advisories
You may be asking, "how will we know when frost or freeze are approaching us"? Well, the simple answer is when our local weather services start issuing frost advisories. Once the announcements have been made, this is when you have to kick it into gear and get those final chores done for the garden. Now, while a frost advisory may not be a major crisis for your plants, there's always a chance that an anticipated frost could become a freeze. Advisories are issued for a time frame of at least three hours, to about a day of weather warnings when there is a good likelihood of unusually cold temperatures. Advisories break down as follows:
Frost advisory: When the temperature is expected to fall to a range of 36 degrees F down to about 32 degrees F
Freeze warning: A warning is issued when there is at least an 80 percent chance. This means the temperature will hit 32 degrees F or lower.
Hard freeze: This takes place when the temperature falls below 28 degrees F
Cover Your Plants
When an advisory is issued in the area grab some sheets, blankets, pots, baskets, or whatever you have at hand that will cover large plants or borders. Keep in mind, if the air cannot settle on your plants, they should not be hurt.
Water Your Plants
It may sound counterintuitive, but water can actually insulate your plants. Wet soil can hold four times more heat than dry soil, and water sprayed directly on plants will form a layer of ice that insulates the plant underneath it. This only works for a frost; don’t push your luck and try this during a hard freeze. For trees and shrubs, make sure they are well-watered until the ground has frozen. They may be dormant, but their roots are still active and need water.
Put Down Mulch
Yes once again, mulch is your best friend! Once the ground has frozen hard, it’s time to protect marginally hardy plants by putting down a winter mulch to keep the soil frozen. You don’t want repeated freezing and thawing to push the plant’s crown out of the ground.