The only thing certain about spring weather is that it’s filled with uncertainty. Warm, balmy days intermingle with periods of rain, wind and cold, and frosts occur even weeks into the gardening season in many areas. That’s why it’s so important to protect your new plantings whenever conditions turn unpredictable. There are two things that can really help you with this: covering and mulching.
“Hot caps” made of waxed paper can provide temporary frost protection to plants. Bury their flanged edges in the soil and fasten them in place with stakes to prevent the wind from blowing them away. To avoid fungal disease, don’t let the paper come in contact with plant foliage.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
A 3- to 4-inch-thick layer of straw mulch helps insulate the soil during chilly nights, holding in the heat trapped by the hot cap.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Old-fashioned bell jars are an option for early-season frost protection.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Coverings made of translucent waxed paper, plastic, glass or woven fabric insulate tender seedlings by isolating the air around the plants and preventing cold dew from forming on the foliage. Sunlight passing through the covers, while necessary to keep photosynthesis active, has an added benefit of warming the soil and air underneath. Such coverings also help keep humidity levels high and reduce the need to water.
Take care, however, on warm, sunny days to remove or partially lift your plant coverings to allow some solar heat to escape, or your tender shoots could be damaged. Remove the coverings entirely when the plants are hardened and the hazard of frost has passed completely.
Used either alone or in conjunction with coverings, mulching around young plants will conserve soil moisture, insulate them to keep soil temperatures from fluctuating, prevent weed seed from germinating by blocking them from light, and – for organic mulches such as straw, compost or wood chips – will lightly fertilize your plants as they decompose.
Because it provides benefits beyond its neat and aesthetic appeal, you should always consider mulching around your vegetables. A 1- to 2-inch layer of mulch is usually adequate for young vegetable plants. Just be sure to keep the mulch away from the plant stems, as it can trap moisture that encourages fungal diseases or hide rasping insects that may eat your plants. You might also consider mulch cloth. Also known as weed-barrier or porous landscape fabric, such cloth helps warm the soil and blocks light to prevent unwanted seed germination.
Once you’ve decided which plant protection methods will work best for your young vegetables, just follow the simple steps shown in the photographs and described in their captions for healthy veggies this cool season. No matter which protection methods you use, remember to keep your new seedlings evenly moist until their roots become established. If humidity is low, occasionally mist their foliage to keep it well hydrated. It’s a sure way to grow toward a bountiful season!
Row Covers
Row Covers - Step 1
After you seed your row, install the preformed row cover sections over the furrow, setting the anchors deep into the soil.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Row Covers - Step 2
For early-season plantings, install end sections made of row cover material to create a miniature greenhouse for your plants.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Row Covers - Step 3
Once temperatures warm (and the seed has sprouted), you can remove the end sections – or the entire row cover if the weather remains nice.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Vegetable Mulch Cloth
Vegetable Mulch Cloth - Step 1
To keep weeds down and moisture in, use mulch cloth in your garden. After leveling and raking the soil, lay porous mulch cloth, overlapping seams at least 8 inches and pinning the material to the ground with U-shaped metal stakes.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Vegetable Mulch Cloth - Step 2
At each planting location, make X-shaped cuts with a sharp knife. Each opening should be slightly larger than the transplant’s root ball.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Vegetable Mulch Cloth - Step 3
Peel back the flaps and plant through the mulch cloth, into the soil beneath. Close the flaps to surround the plant tightly.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Vegetable Mulch Cloth - Step 4
Water your transplants through the porous mulch cloth. In a few days, they should sprout new leaves.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
