Question of the Week – Number One: December 3, 2020
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“What is the best way to protect my tender plants from extreme cold?”
People often think about constructing some kind of little greenhouse over their plants and maybe putting a light bulb beneath it, but that is basically impractical. That would involve creating a very small volume of the air around the plants. On a cold, sunny morning, that air would quickly heat to excessive temperatures and the plants would literally cook.
Instead, you should use a lightweight “floating row cover” that you find at local nurseries and hardware stores. They are traditionally white, gauze-like materials that you drape over your plants. They absorb the sun’s warming rays during the day, allowing the heat to “soak” into the soil. Overnight, that warmth is re-radiated up, then held in place by the fabric.
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These stop damage of strong winter winds, and they also make 6 to 8 degrees’ worth of difference in the survival of your plants. They slow the rate of temperature changes around your plants.
It’s best to buy a large roll and cut it to fit the appropriate beds and shrubs. Mark the cut pieces, and put them in storage bags in the garage until you need them. That’s a lot easier than trying to cut them on a cold, blustery winter evening.
They can be left in place for days, even weeks if necessary, then removed once temperatures moderate. They certainly can be reused several times.
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