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Frost Protection & Shading

We have fleece fabric to protect against frost, bubble wrap and more! This range by Gardman also includes mulch fabic for weed control and fabric pegs too.

More info

Frost Protection

In the cold nighttime hours, moisture is squeezed out of the air, decorating your trees and plants in glittering splendor. But once the sun comes up, the frost starts to melt, and evaporate, both of which steal heat from the leaves and bark, lowering their temperature below even that of the chill morning air. Frost may be pretty, but its bite is hard on your bark The simplest solution to frost is to not let it condense on your precious plants in the first place! How to prevent this? Cover your plants up! Using specialist horticultural fleece ensures that your plants are kept safe from frost before it arrives. There are all sorts of other solutions too, such as using fleece jackets, blankets and sheets to give them extra frost protection. Covers on vegetables in the autumn or spring provide both insulation and a barrier to frost. Cover your dwarf fruit trees or protect your beloved bougainvillea’s when the weather unexpectedly turns freezing. I had a friend who used to buy blankets at the second hand store just for covering his palms on cold nights!

If you're only dealing with frost protection itself, or perhaps a few degrees in that sudden cold snap, you can't really beat simply covering it up for protection. If you need to protect it from more than that, you can add layers to your frost protection scheme. The blankets I mentioned above can really add insulation when combined with an outer tarp or plastic to keep the wind out. Remember to never place plastic directly in contact with leaves and plant material for more than a single night because it will encourage fungus and disease, which plants are especially vulnerable to in the cold anyway.

There's nothing like mulch for protecting ground plantings and things which come back from the stalk. For a short cold spell you can pile up straw, leaf mould, or other light materials and then remove it when the danger has passed to keep from smothering growing plants. Once again, plastic over the top of this, used judiciously, can provide even more frost protection.

Keep it Warm

In still air, as in a sheltered location, I have successfully protected plants with Christmas lights, using both miniature light strings and the larger socketed lamp variety. Don't use the new LED lights, though. Inefficient lights are what we're looking for here because all of that "lost" electricity is actually turned into heat. Don't forget to wrap the trunk down to the soil line, unless you're only trying to protect foliage from frost.

It is tempting to wrap these up, lights and all, for further frost protection, but not wise. Covered lights are just as much of a fire hazard in the cold air as they are on your Christmas tree, as they can get very hot in the small location where a lamp touches a surface. I have seen tent-like structures built around plants, but it is difficult to guarantee that it will be sturdy enough not to skew and contact the lights.

Areas with morning sun are more vulnerable to frost because the sun helps the frost burn off quickly, imparting greater cold to your plants in the melting and evaporating process. If you've ever gotten out of a swimming pool on a warm day and felt a chill, you know how much evaporation can lower the temperature of something that is wet. The same applies for something with ice crystals on it which suddenly melt.

Move it!

Of course, if your most vulnerable plants are potted, you can move them into a shed or even the garage to keep them safe. Many fruit trees can be kept in large pots, and pot trolleys are available to help roll them around when needed. Beware that pots are more vulnerable to root damage in colder climates, so keep that in mind if you're pushing your zone limits with something more tropical than your winters normally allow.

Weed control using fabric

Weed control fabric is a porous synthetic material that can simplify the job of maintaining garden beds. The fabric controls the growth of weeds in the landscape, but allows air circulation and water penetration. Weed control fabric is expensive, but when properly installed can control weeds for up to five years.

Instructions: -

  •        Remove all weeds from the planting area. Dig the weeds with a spade or shovel, or pull the weeds by hand. Attempt to remove as much of the roots as possible.
  •         Remove any roots, clods and anything sharp that can puncture the fabric. Smooth the area with the back of a rake.
  •       Unroll the weed control fabric lengthwise over the planting area, and then cut the fabric to the proper length. Overlap sections of weed control fabric by 3 to 4 inches.
  •        Cover any existing plants with the fabric, and then use a carpet knife to make a slit for the plant's main stem. Slide the weed control fabric around the plant, and then enlarge the hole to accommodate the plant, if needed. For new plantings, use the carpet knife to cut an "X" in the fabric, and then dig a hole for the new plant. Once the plant is in place, tuck the fabric firmly around the stem so no soil remains on top of the fabric.
  •         Trim the edges of the fabric with scissors to adapt to the contours of your flower beds. Secure the edges of the weed control fabric to the ground every 8 to 12 inches with landscape staples. Any gaps will allow weeds to emerge.
  •      Cover the weed control fabric with 2 to 3 inches of mulch, such as shredded bark or round pebbles, to improve the appearance of the fabric and prevent deterioration caused by sunlight. Keep in mind that organic mulch such as shredded bark is attractive, but it will eventually break down and produce an organic surface for weeds to sprout.

Wind protection using fabric

Windbreak fabrics are used in a variety of applications including protecting crops and plants from wind damage, protection from browsing animals and property privacy. For the commercial grower, the effects of strong wind can cause plants to dry out, wind burn and physical damage to crops.

Installation of Windbreak Fences

Windbreak can be installed on frames, fences, timber poles or post and wire structures.  For the most economical installation for your garden, please contact us at mailto:orders@crowders.co.uk.  We can give you advice on just about anything!

Know of any other Frost Protection & Shading blogs? Then let us know at mailto:orders@crowders.co.uk

Or, if you have your own handy hints and tips, or recommendations on frost protection, weed control fabric or wind protection fabric, leave a product review on one of our products and you will be automatically entered into our free prize draw to win that product! What have you got to lose?!