Protecting Your Garden from Spring Frosts

It’s also easy to forget that late spring frosts can jeopardize your young plants. 

This isn’t as much of a challenge for cold season veggies – frost-tolerant plants such as peas, broccoli, kale, cabbage, spinach, carrots, radishes and scallions that can withstand the vagaries of Flagstaff’s weather. 

But what if you want to grow tomatoes, eggplant or melons – warm-season vegetables that people typically plant outdoors only after the last frost of the season? Since we can get frosty nights right up until June 15, that can be a problem for Northern Arizona gardeners. By mid-June, you typically don’t have enough time to grow these goodies. 

With a few proactive measures, however, you can shield your warm-season veggies from the unexpected chill of spring freezes and ensure thriving edibles throughout the season.

First off, monitor weather forecasts for your area and stay vigilant about upcoming weather patterns. Often, we don’t know until the last minute, which is why Warner’s Nursery offers text message warnings to subscribers. You can sign yourself up for frost warnings at our nursery.

You can also search for short-growing varieties of your favorite veggies. There are hybrids, particularly of tomatoes, that have been designed for short growing seasons.

Where you plant your veggies can also help protect them from late season frosts. A raised bed will warm faster in the spring and get your plants off to a quick start. Using mulch is also helpful; a layer of organic mulch will insulate the soil and regulate temperature fluctuations. 

You’ll also need to invest in some season extenders. 

The most popular ones are tubes of water that go around the plant. They absorb heat during the day and keep your plants toasty at night. Additionally, they warm up the soil under your plant, which promotes good root growth and lessens the chance of shock, which will make your plant stronger.

You can also go the DIY route with PVC pipe and thick plastic. Just assemble the pipe into a frame that can cover your plants and attach the plastic to it. Pull it over your veggie beds at night and just make sure to take it off during the daytime.  

Lightweight blankets or old bedsheets can also be deployed quickly to protect your plants to provide temporary shelter from freezing temps. 

Watering wisely also plays a pivotal role in protecting plants from frost stress. Damp soil retains heat more effectively than dry soil. Just make sure not to soak the ground, as the water could freeze and damage your plants’ roots.

Growing warm weather vegetables in our region can be a bit of a challenge, but let’s face it – when you bite into that yummy pepper or cucumber or tomato, you’ll know that all your hard work was worth it.

Happy gardening! FBN

By Misti Warner-Andersen

Misti Warner-Andersen is the manager of    Warner’s Nursery & Landscape Co., located at 1101 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff. To contact Warner’s Nursery, call 928-774-1983.