The garden has been waking up unusually early in recent years, and the first buds appear somewhere already in March. Warm days beckon to work outside and everything seems idyllic. But right now there is a risk of making a mistake that could cost you your entire crop.
Mild winter and they can confuse the trees and bushes. As soon as they meet the required number of cold hours, they start to wake up and expel the buds. At that point, however, their resistance to frost is significantly reduced, and the return of cold weather can do more damage than January frosts.
In the following video, you will learn how to effectively protect your garden from spring frosts, which could otherwise irreversibly damage the crop:
When the buds overtake the calendar
Gardeners note that once the bud opens and begins to sprout, the plant loses most of its resistance. At the moment when the buds are poured, the tissues are much more sensitive to temperatures below minus two degrees. It only takes a few frosty nights and flowers or young leaves can turn black and die.
Traditionally, stone fruits such as peaches and apricots, which bloom very early, are most at risk. If the frost hits them while the sap is flowing, the branches can be irreversibly damaged. The frozen sap increases in volume, the cells crack and the tree has a harder time recovering. The result is then weaker growth or zero yield.
A big mistake is trying to return the tree back to a dormant state. Once growth starts, it cannot be stopped or slowed down. Transferring containers to the cold or other experiments usually do not save the situation. The only thing that makes sense is protection from another frost.
Protection that makes sense
The basis is the correct location of the trees already during planting. Elevated and sunny locations with good air drainage tend to be safer than frost basins. It can also help proximity to waterwhich releases accumulated heat overnight and alleviates .
And when meteorologists are already warning of the planned frost, practical measures come into play. Trees can be covered non-woven fabric or light tarpaulinwhich creates a kind of umbrella and captures the heat rising from the ground. Works well too light watering the day beforebecause moist soil retains heat better than dry soil.
Don’t underestimate the spring returns of winter
March can be treacherous even for the most experienced gardeners: one week it feels like April, the next it’s back to winter. According to experienced gardeners, the biggest mistake is to rush the spring work and rely on the fact that nothing will happen. Therefore, always follow the forecast, have covering material at hand and give the plants time. The garden will reward you for your patience with richer flowers and crops.
