So what do you do when you’ve planted your garden, filled your containers, and then Mother Nature loses all control and sends unexpected record cold temps your way? You might feel a little helpless, but there are some must-know garden tips to survive an unexpected frost. If you know what to do, it’s possible to save your favorite plants from death’s door. Here are the tips you need to know, just in case.

Garden Tips To Survive an Unexpected Frost

These tips are proven aids to help your plants survive an unexpected frost. Some of them may seem a little crazy, but trust me, they work. Here is what you need to know to beat Mother Nature at her own game!

1. Water–that is, moving water–is a big help in case of unexpected frost. It may seem counterintuitive to apply water to plants when it’s freezing outside, but it works. The key is that the water needs to be moving. Water that is moving can’t freeze. Use a drip line or a light sprinkler to keep water moving over your most sensitive plants, and that will protect them from ice.
2. Another option is to give your plants a deep soak late at night before you go to bed. This is a different method than the sprinkler or drip line method, because you don’t need to keep water moving over the plants. The reasoning behind a deep soak is that wet soil is much better at holding heat than dry soil. So a good soaking around the roots of your plants will help them survive an unexpected frost.
3. Grab all your potted plants and set them in a group next to the house. They fare much better during an unexpected frost in a group than they do alone. Safety in numbers, as they say!
4. Tie your plants to bring the foliage in close to the stem, and then wrap them with burlap to protect them. This works much the same way it works for you and me to put on a parka.
5. Tent your plants with plastic, dry leaves, or even a bed sheet from the house. Anything that will cover them and help hold in heat close the ground is one of the better-known garden tips to survive an unexpected frost.

Other Garden Tips To Survive An Unexpected Frost

Additional tips include applying heat or smoke to the coldest areas of your garden, but these might require you to pull an all-nighter. {You can decide if it’s worth it to you!}. Another tip is to purchase a bottle of anti-transpirant and spray it on your plants before you go to bed. This forms a barrier on the leaves of the plant and protects them by sealing in moisture. Don’t forget that part of surviving an unexpected frost is knowing how to predict it.