Question: How can I protect my plants from frost? I’m interested in getting a jump in the spring, but I also will need to cover them the night of the first freeze in the fall.

Answer: There are special lightweight spun fabrics that can be laid over the tops of tender plants. You can also use old sheets or burlap bags. All you need to do when temperatures are above 32 degrees is cover the plants to keep frost from forming directly on their leaves. If it’s going to drop below 32, however, you need to enclose them in plastic and put some type of heat source in with them. Perhaps you have a heating cable, or maybe you just use a drop light from the shop. This little bit of heroic covering can often extend your garden’s productive season by many weeks. It’s definitely worth the effort.