Has your first frost happened yet? Ours did, just this past week. For the first time in recent years, I was – at least I think I was – prepared. Houseplants moved back inside, check. Any tender plants staying outside were covered, check. Any lingering veggies harvested, check.
I moved several houseplants inside a short while ago. Here is the Majesty Palm that I just got this year. It has been gracing our side porch all summer and now it sits in my reading nook.
I also moved a calladium and a peace lily inside. And I had already dug up the rhizomes of a gorgeous canna and moved them to the basement. You have to check this thing out – you will understand why it was worth the trouble!
But, what happens if your first frost comes about unexpectedly? I mean, some of us (ahem, yours truly) barely get all our daily activities done, much less worry about checking the weather forecast!
One thing that has really helped me is to have a monthly garden guide. You can see some examples, here and here. I created these monthly guides based on weather patterns here in our Zone 6 area and have used them for a few years now. I print the sheet off at the beginning of each month and keep it in my planner. It helps me stay on track, so that by the time the frost arrives, hopefully I have taken some precautions and done the necessary things to help my plants survive.
Another thing that may be helpful is to use an app that will provide alerts when frost is predicted. A quick googling will pull up several of them. Try searching on “app for frost alert”.
The specific activities that should be done prior to first frost depend on where you are located. In general, they revolve around making sure tender plants are protected and any harvesting that needs to be done is done. Here are a couple of good articles on how to prepare for first frost:
- How to Prep your Plants for the First Frost of the Season (Southern Living)
- How to Predict a Frost: Preparing and Protecting Your Garden (The Old Farmers Almanac)
And in the end, be sure to keep it all in perspective. A light frost may not do all that much damage anyway, depending on the situation. If nothing else, it might serve as the reminder to go ahead and take some actions in preparation for the hard freeze to come.
Hit me up in the comments – is frost a concern for you? How closely do you watch for the first frost date in your area? If you are one of the lucky ducks who lives in a warmer climate, what is your biggest garden concern during the winter months?
2 Comments
Not yet. Even though I will pull out the begonias today. Sooner or later the frost would get them. And the reason we have not had a frost is that warm lake just north of us. it delays the fall frosts. then again when it is cold in the spring it delays spring bloom so it is not always perfect…
I’d always heard of “the lake effect” but did not realize exactly how it worked. I thought it only meant cold, cold, cold for you guys (early winter lasting late into the spring). I guess it’s six of one, so to speak. Gardening lasts a bit later in the season, but doesn’t start as early.