When the first flowers bloom in the garden, the winter blues will finally disappear. However, frost can damage them quickly. So here are 5 tips for the right protection against frost in spring.
When Christmas roses and snowdrops are fading and crocuses and daffodils are on the way, it's high time for gardeners to start gardening again because spring is near! However, you still have to reckon with sensitive frost temperatures, especially at night, until mid-May, which is why you have to protect most outdoor plants adequately against this.
You can of course protect your plants by not removing the existing winter protection too early, because this is the only way to prevent frost-sensitive summer plants from being damaged. This is the most important point regarding frost protection. Here are a few more tips on how your plants can survive the frost in spring.
Plant frost protection in spring - 5 tips
❍ Tip 1 - Loosen up the soil and pile up plants:
In general, you should first loosen the top layer of soil with a rake in early spring. You can then work the first compost into this layer of soil. The compost is good for the soil and at the same time the plants are optimally supplied with fresh nutrients.
If you don't have your own compost and don't need that much of it, you can ask your neighbor if they can spare some compost.
Important:
Pile up the compost at the root stem of the plants. This way the frost cannot get through to the sensitive roots.
❍ Tip 2 - Perform spring pruning:
You should cut back roses, trees (e.g. fruit trees) or shrubs and perennials in spring (March to April) so that they can put on fresh shoots in good time.
Important:
In case of extreme cold snaps, however, you should cover the smaller plant stems and tree trunks with protective straw mats again. Large cardboard boxes or special garden fleece are ideal for this purpose.
Larger trees, on the other hand, have to withstand the frost first. However, this can often lead to slight frostbite on the fresh shoots. If you want to prevent this, then you should look out for mega fleece hoods or jute bags in size XXL in specialist shops. Although these are offered at a price that is unfortunately sometimes quite expensive, they are the perfect winter protection for sensitive plants, as they optimally protect them from frost.
❍ Tip 3 - Protect vegetables from frost:
The earlier you sow or plant lettuce and vegetables, the sooner they can usually be harvested. With old window panes, you can protect these "cold frames" against frost and at the same time let the sun's rays, which are so important for growth, through to the plants. In this case, transparent garden fleece is also suitable.
Garden tunnels are also available in specialist garden shops. These heat up during the day due to the sun's rays and then pass this heat on to the plants and the soil at night. This way the frost can do less damage to the plants.
❍ Tip 4 - Protect flower seeds from frost:
The fresh flower seeds begin to germinate quickly and soon after sowing, small plant shoots become visible on the surface of the earth. To protect these little flowers from frost, you can spread a transparent garden fleece over the plants.
Important:
Always weigh down the corners of the fleece with heavy stones so that the garden fleece is not blown away by light spring storms. In the case of long lengths of fleece, you should also place a few stones on the fleece along the edge.
❍ Tip 5 - repot potted plants:
Finally, you should then repot the potted plants that were placed in winter into new containers with fresh soil so that these plants are also supplied with sufficient nutrients. From this point on, the potted plants need more water again and should also be able to enjoy the first rays of sunshine - behind glass if possible.
However, you should only put your potted plants outdoors permanently after the ice saints.