What plants survive after frost? How to save plants from spring and summer frosts. Creating shelters for plants from scrap materials

Return frosts are always a nuisance, especially for plants, which can suffer greatly and leave us without a harvest.

The harbinger of return frosts is usually very early spring, often followed by cold weather. It’s good if the early warmth comes for only a few days and does not have time to “wake up” the buds of fruit trees and berry bushes. It’s much worse if the early warm period drags on for weeks, the buds bloom, the tips of the leaves and even buds show, and then frosts come and it goes down. , on already quite warmed soil, snow.

What can happen to plants from exposure to negative temperatures in late spring, when the plants have already begun to vegetate?

Most often, flower buds, buds, flowers die from frost, but sometimes leaf blades and even young shoots.

This does not mean at all that under the influence of negative temperatures the buds and flowers fall off; quite often only the bud tissue dies or the pollen becomes sterile, and the stigma of the pistil becomes incapable of receiving pollen, that is, the flowers become virtually asexual and there is no longer any chance of harvest. Most often, flowers die along the borders of the crown; in the center of the tree, flowers often survive and there may be fruits, but of course, even in this case the harvest will be minimal.

If the temperature drops below 7-8 degrees below zero, then the blossoming leaf blades or their tips may also suffer (depending on what stage of development the frost catches them). This will also negatively affect the further growth and development of plants, since damaged leaves will not be able to normally carry out the processes of photosynthesis, and therefore growth and development.

Shoots, or rather young growths, if they have time to form by that time, can also die, especially bad when the growth points, the buds located at the tips of the shoots, die, then the latter stop growing in length and the tree can become covered with overgrown shoots, non-fruiting tops.

What to do after frost? The first step is to take your time and assess the situation, cut a couple of shoots from different parts of the crown of a fruit tree or bush and evaluate the buds, growths, flowers, buds. If the buds on the cut have an atypical color, usually black or gray-brown, then there is a high probability that they have died. Flowers also usually turn black in the center, the pistil and stamens become grey-brown, this means that they have frozen and actually died.

If this is the case, then you need to resort to resuscitation; of course, it is no longer possible to revive the generative buds and breathe life into the flowers, but it is quite possible to take care of next year’s harvest.

The first step is to water the plants well, because severe frost can literally freeze out all the moisture from the soil and plants exhausted by frost will also begin to feel deficient in it and will not be able to absorb the available nutrients in the soil. Before watering, the soil must be loosened well (by 5-6 cm), then pour 3-4 buckets of water under mature trees older than 6-7 years, and 2-3 buckets under younger trees. 1.5-2 buckets of water are enough for shrubs, but the soil must also be thoroughly loosened (by 3-4 cm) before watering.

After watering, do not forget to mulch the surface with peat or humus with a layer of 1.5-2 cm to save moisture and it does not evaporate on the first hot day after watering.

Next, feeding, immediately after the temperature rises, trees and shrubs need to be fed with double doses of nitrogen fertilizers in order to activate dormant buds and resume growth. You can add a tablespoon of ammonium nitrate under bushes, and two tablespoons under trees. It is best to apply these fertilizers dissolved in water - these norms need to be dissolved in a bucket of water at room temperature.

In June-July, plants should be fed with double doses of superphosphate and potassium salt, for trees 20-25 g of each of these fertilizers, for shrubs 10-15 g. Phosphorus and potassium will contribute to the full development of plants and the formation of flower buds - the key to the future harvest .

Pruning - it can be done in June, removing all the shoots that have frozen out, covering the cut areas with garden varnish. We can prune despite the fact that it is summer and it would seem that pruning cannot be done, but if we leave dead shoots untouched, they can become a breeding ground for infection, literally an open gate into a bush or tree.

And of course, you shouldn’t forget about other care throughout the warm period; remember that trees and shrubs are weakened, their immunity is practically depleted, so protective measures against pests and diseases, weeding, loosening the soil and watering throughout the warm season should become mandatory. season.

N.V. Khromov, Ph.D. biol. sciences

Astrakhan tomatoes ripen remarkably well lying on the ground, but this experience should not be repeated in the Moscow region. Our tomatoes need support, support, garter. My neighbors use all sorts of stakes, tie-downs, loops, ready-made plant supports and mesh fencing. Each method of fixing a plant in a vertical position has its own advantages and “side effects”. I'll tell you how I place tomato bushes on trellises and what comes out of it.

Flies are a sign of unsanitary conditions and carriers of infectious diseases that are dangerous to both people and animals. People are constantly looking for ways to get rid of unpleasant insects. In this article we will talk about the Zlobny TED brand, which specializes in fly repellents and knows a lot about them. The manufacturer has developed a specialized line of products to get rid of flying insects anywhere quickly, safely and at no extra cost.

The summer months are the time for hydrangeas to bloom. This beautiful deciduous shrub produces luxuriously fragrant flowers from June to September. Florists readily use large inflorescences for wedding decorations and bouquets. To admire the beauty of a flowering hydrangea bush in your garden, you should take care of the proper conditions for it. Unfortunately, some hydrangeas do not bloom year after year, despite the care and efforts of gardeners. We will explain why this happens in the article.

Every summer resident knows that plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for full development. These are three main macronutrients, the deficiency of which significantly affects the appearance and yield of plants, and in advanced cases can lead to their death. But not everyone understands the importance of other macro- and microelements for plant health. And they are important not only in themselves, but also for the effective absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Garden strawberries, or strawberries, as we used to call them, are one of the early aromatic berries that summer generously gifts us with. How happy we are about this harvest! In order for the “berry boom” to repeat every year, we need to take care of the berry bushes in the summer (after the end of fruiting). The laying of flower buds, from which ovaries will form in the spring and berries in the summer, begins approximately 30 days after the end of fruiting.

Spicy pickled watermelon is a savory appetizer for fatty meat. Watermelons and watermelon rinds have been pickled since time immemorial, but this process is labor-intensive and time-consuming. According to my recipe, you can simply prepare pickled watermelon in 10 minutes, and by the evening the spicy appetizer will be ready. Watermelon marinated with spices and chili can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Be sure to keep the jar in the refrigerator, not only for the sake of safety - when chilled, this snack is simply licking your fingers!

Among the variety of species and hybrids of philodendrons, there are many plants, both gigantic and compact. But not a single species competes in unpretentiousness with the main modest one - the blushing philodendron. True, his modesty does not concern the appearance of the plant. Blushing stems and cuttings, huge leaves, long shoots, forming, although very large, but also a strikingly elegant silhouette, look very elegant. Philodendron blushing requires only one thing - at least minimal care.

Thick chickpea soup with vegetables and egg is a simple recipe for a hearty first course, inspired by oriental cuisine. Similar thick soups are prepared in India, Morocco, and Southeast Asian countries. The tone is set by spices and seasonings - garlic, chili, ginger and a bouquet of spicy spices, which can be assembled to your taste. It is better to fry vegetables and spices in clarified butter (ghee) or mix olive and butter in a pan; this, of course, is not the same, but it tastes similar.

Plum - well, who isn’t familiar with it?! She is loved by many gardeners. And all because it has an impressive list of varieties, surprises with excellent yields, pleases with its diversity in terms of ripening and a huge selection of color, shape and taste of fruits. Yes, in some places it feels better, in others it feels worse, but almost no summer resident gives up the pleasure of growing it on his plot. Today it can be found not only in the south, in the middle zone, but also in the Urals and Siberia.

Many ornamental and fruit crops, except drought-resistant ones, suffer from the scorching sun, and conifers in the winter-spring period suffer from sunlight, enhanced by reflection from the snow. In this article we will tell you about a unique product for protecting plants from sunburn and drought - Sunshet Agrosuccess. The problem is relevant for most regions of Russia. In February and early March, the sun's rays become more active, and the plants are not yet ready for new conditions.

“Every vegetable has its own time,” and every plant has its own optimal time for planting. Anyone who has dealt with planting is well aware that the hot season for planting is spring and autumn. This is due to several factors: in the spring the plants have not yet begun to grow rapidly, there is no sweltering heat and precipitation often falls. However, no matter how hard we try, circumstances often develop such that planting has to be carried out in the midst of summer.

Chili con carne translated from Spanish means chili with meat. This is a Texas and Mexican dish whose main ingredients are chili peppers and shredded beef. In addition to the main products there are onions, carrots, tomatoes, and beans. This red lentil chili recipe is delicious! The dish is fiery, scalding, very filling and amazingly tasty! You can make a big pot, put it in containers and freeze - you'll have a delicious dinner for a whole week.

Cucumber is one of the most favorite garden crops of our summer residents. However, not all and not always gardeners manage to get a really good harvest. And although growing cucumbers requires regular attention and care, there is a little secret that will significantly increase their yield. We are talking about pinching cucumbers. Why, how and when to pinch cucumbers, we will tell you in the article. An important point in the agricultural technology of cucumbers is their formation, or type of growth.

Now every gardener has the opportunity to grow absolutely environmentally friendly, healthy fruits and vegetables in their own garden. Atlant microbiological fertilizer will help with this. It contains helper bacteria that settle in the root system area and begin to work for the benefit of the plant, allowing it to actively grow, remain healthy and produce high yields. Typically, many microorganisms coexist around the root system of plants.

Summer is associated with beautiful flowers. Both in the garden and in the rooms you want to admire the luxurious inflorescences and touching flowers. And for this it is not at all necessary to use cut bouquets. The assortment of the best indoor plants includes many beautifully flowering species. In the summer, when they receive the brightest lighting and optimal daylight hours, they can outshine any bouquet. Short-lived or just annual crops also look like living bouquets.

What do gardeners fear most in the spring? The fact that during the flowering of garden trees and shrubs spring frosts will suddenly strike, and the future harvest will die. We plant heat-loving garden crops in greenhouses and make shelters for them. What about protecting larger plants? And most importantly: is it possible to somehow predict cold snaps and frosts without relying on the weather forecast?

When frosts occur, the apical growth point of plants is damaged, which subsequently leads, for example, potatoes and tomatoes to late blight. When cabbage freezes, instead of one healthy head of cabbage, several small heads of cabbage are formed, pumpkin crops die, and flowers and young ovaries of apple trees, cherries, strawberries and even currants are damaged. Damage is worse in lowlands, in drafts and in dense plantings.

Critical air temperatures for the garden in autumn, winter and spring

A sign of the onset of night frosts in spring and early summer is a sharp cooling in the evening hours and a clear sky with bright stars. On such evenings at 21-22 o'clock it is necessary to check the readings of two thermometers: one dry, and the other wrapped in a damp cloth. If the readings are approximately the same as in the table below, then there will almost certainly be frost at night or in the early morning hours.

Dry and wet thermometer readings indicating upcoming frosts

How to protect your garden during frost

Did the thermometer readings alert you? Then take a hose or sprayer and thoroughly water the garden the evening before the frost by sprinkling, spraying the tree crowns not only outside, but also inside. Also spray bushes, strawberries, vegetable gardens, flower beds and the outside of greenhouses.

When sprinkling garden, the air humidity around the plants increases. During freezing, frost is formed from droplets of moisture, the process occurs with the release of internal heat, and the temperature around the plants rises by 1-2 degrees. Moistened soil allows heat to pass through well from the lower layers, so it cools slowly, which is also important, since frost occurs in the soil.

Another completely reliable way to avoid the consequences of frost is plant cover any available material. In order to save buds, flowers and ovaries from damage, it is enough just to cover the bushes from above. The garden can be covered with lutrasil or simply with newspapers.

In greenhouses, plants need to be additionally covered with either lutrasil or newspapers, or arches must be installed and additional cover made with film. Such a double film shelter will create the effect of a thermos: a layer of air between the two films will keep the temperature more or less constant, and the plants will not overheat in hot weather and will not freeze in cold weather.

At night, many gardeners light electric (100 watt/hour per 10 m2) or kerosene lamps in greenhouses. The lamps must be covered with a cap so that the glass does not burst from the drops.

When the temperature drops to zero in the greenhouse at night, you can simply put two buckets of very hot water, but not on the soil, but on a wooden stand, so that the water does not cool down too quickly.

And one more thing: a popular sign - there will be no more frosts if the cuckoo crows regularly, the red rowan tree has blossomed, and a white lily leaf has appeared on the water.

How to calculate flowering times

If you do not live in the country in the spring and early summer, when trees and shrubs are flowering, then you cannot know exactly when, say, a cherry tree will bloom - and whether the flowering will coincide with cold weather and frosts. But the timing of flowering can be calculated.

Below I provide average statistical data on the beginning of the flowering periods of various garden crops for the Leningrad region, where I cultivate my plot. You may ask: why are they needed, since the flowering time of the same plants will vary significantly in different regions of the country? And the temperatures of the current year may differ from the average data...

However, it has been noticed: the flowering sequence of shrubs and trees in the garden is very stable, therefore, taking as a starting point some phenomenon, for example, the flowering time of coltsfoot in your area, you can very accurately determine the flowering time of other crops.

Using the table, calculate the number of days between the flowering of coltsfoot and, for example, currants. It will be 40 days. Suppose your coltsfoot bloomed on April 20, which means that the currant will bloom in 40 days, that is, on June 1. If in your region the coltsfoot bloomed on April 8, then you can be sure that the currant will bloom in your place on May 18. So, based on the table above, you can create a similar one for any region of the country.

Average statistical data on the beginning of plant flowering periods for the Leningrad region
Transition of average daily temperature through 0 °C 1.04
Blooming coltsfoot 15.04
Transition of average daily temperature through +5 °C 04/29
Budding of currants, birch, rowan 2.05
Last frost in the air 9.05
Bird cherry blossom 12.05
Transition of average daily temperature through +10 °C 17.05
Gooseberry blossom 20.05
Last frost on the soil 24.05
Currant blossom 25.05
Cherry and plum blossoms 26.05
Apple blossom 29.05
Strawberry blossom 3.06
Lilac blossom 4.06
Blooming red rowan 6.06
Transition of average daily temperature through +15 °C 10.06
Raspberry blossom 18.06
Strawberry ripening 06/25
Ripening currants 22.07
Transition of average daily temperature through +15 °C 08/31
First frost on the soil 19.09
Transition of average daily temperature through +10 °C 09/27
First frost in the air 9.10
First snow 12.10
Transition of average daily temperature through +5 °C 21.10
Transition of average daily temperature through 0 °C 11/18

Author Galina Kizima gardener-enthusiast with 50 years of experience, author of original techniques

Comment on the article "Frosts and the garden in spring: plant protection during flowering"

Frosts and the garden in spring: plant protection during flowering. However, it has been noticed: the sequence of flowering of shrubs and trees in the garden is very If in your region the coltsfoot bloomed on April 8, then you can be sure that the currant will bloom in your place on May 18.

Frosts and the garden in spring: plant protection during flowering. soil 24.05 Currant blossom 25.05 Cherry, plum blossom 26.05 Apple blossom 29.05 Strawberry blossom 3.06 Lilac blossom 4.06 Bloom During the bird cherry blossom we plant potatoes.

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Hello, dear friends!

May frosts bring a lot of trouble to gardeners. Many managed to plant and sow not only very cold-resistant plants (garlic, onions, radishes, beets, carrots, cabbage), but also pampered southerners: tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, amaranths, eggplants and even watermelons. And weather forecasters suddenly promised colder temperatures. Today's article is about how to protect yourself from the May and June return frosts.

I had to while away more than one sleepless night in the company of restless gardeners, keeping watch by smoke fires waiting for dawn, when just before sunrise the air becomes so dry and prickly that flowers and leaves die right before my eyes...

How to save plants from frost

I will tell you a number of ways to insulate plants from any spring-summer frost.

Smoker fires for protecting gardens and vegetable gardens are well known. They are lit at zero air temperature. Place dry “cow dung” or peat on the fire - they produce a lot of smoke that envelops the garden, vegetable garden, and plants. The smoke keeps the cold out of them. In gardening associations and at dachas, be vigilant with fire so that the house does not become a bonfire. And don’t even think about setting up such a smoker in a greenhouse. One acquaintance lit a fire in a bucket, filled it with peat, brought it into a film greenhouse, and went to sleep. In the morning I checked - the greenhouse was gray with smoke, I could barely rest. And the tomatoes have wilted! Not from the frost, but from the smoke. Crazy.

Heating greenhouses is simple: place the tank in four buckets of water and turn on the electric boiler. A steam room is not a stain. Even better is an electric heater, a thermal electric fan. The main thing is that it doesn’t get colder than zero. The industry also produces special flexible tape electric heaters, like reins. They are buried in a garden bed (covered with thick, viscous clay and covered with earth). Seedlings are planted on top. When there is a threat of frost or when the night is too cold, the electric bed is plugged in.

There are also tablets, like pucks, that boys drive across the ice in winter. But they have a different composition! These are thermal heaters. They are set on fire, and they smolder hotly under a film cover over a ridge without smoke or soot all night long.

Our grandfathers managed without electricity and washers. A small stove in a glass greenhouse made it possible to grow radishes, onions and even cucumbers from March. Old-fashioned kerosene gas and kerosene can help out these days - they are lit at night in a greenhouse or in a garden bed, and a film is stretched over the arcs on top. The air needed for combustion passes through the thin cracks under the film.

A city dweller, one of those who goes to the dacha only on weekends, can do without kerosene stoves and save the plants, while being far from the garden at that time. To do this, an additional film cover should be installed in the greenhouse above the ridge. Imagine: a greenhouse, and there’s also a greenhouse in it! In this way I saved my tomatoes even from eight degrees below zero. True, the bed was filled with biofuel, like a good old Russian greenhouse.

To find out the secrets of peasant gardeners, how they or their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers got by, I walked through our city markets and talked to pickle sellers. Not with hired traders, not with resellers, but with gardeners. They are easy to recognize from the very first words by their openness, trustfulness, prudence - by all these wonderful qualities characteristic of hard-working farmers. I’ll share some of what I learned with you.

• First. Steam ridges. In the garden, trenches are dug 40 centimeters deep and a layer of wood chips is poured onto the bottom (insulation from the deep cold left over from the winter). Biofuel, that is, straw manure, is poured onto the wood chips in a layer of up to 30 centimeters, poured over it with hot water and immediately covered with earth so that there is a depression along the ground along the ridge above the manure, and there are ridges on the sides. The earthen feather bed must be at least 20 centimeters. And the ridges are the same height. Planting of cucumbers and tomato seedlings is done along the hollow, that is, in the middle. They are heated from below by biofuel. In case of frost, cross sticks are placed on the ridges, covered with straw or reed mats on top, or rugs, canvas, or oilcloth are rolled out. This is what they did in central Russia.

• Second. They are planted in the usual way, in a regular bed, with poles marking the rows - if the cucumbers are sown with seeds directly into the ground. And when you plant seedlings, you don’t need stakes. Then the bed is covered with hay. In warm weather, the hay is moved away. In anticipation of frost, the hay is moved with a roller over the plantings. This is how they manage in the Novgorod region, in the Ilmen region.

• Third. They rotate the roofing material coolies and cover the plantings with these caps the night before frost. Such coolies can be easily stored in bales, stacked on top of each other, and they last for years. And many people cover it with buckets, or even cast iron, pans at night. The one who didn’t cover it has black tops. Whoever covered it will take off the cap: everything is alive and well. Instead of pots and buckets, they make do with cardboard boxes.

• Fourth. They also planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and pumpkins in the caves. They're easy to make. You stick it into the garden bed and screw in a bucket without a bottom. You scoop the earth out of it. I took out a bucket - there was a cave in the ground. You plant seedlings at the bottom. Cover it with glass on top. Your personal cell is ready. The seedlings grow until they hit the glass, and by this time there will be no frost. But for such seedlings there must be biofuel below, otherwise the roots are too cold in the spring soil. After all, tomatoes already stop growing at 10 degrees Celsius. A gardener can easily tell that the roots are cold by the reddish-bluish color of the leaves.

• And the easiest way discovered it by accident. It couldn't be simpler! Zucchini and crooknecks have sprouted in the beds, amaranth is growing - and suddenly I find out on the Internet: there will be frost at night. I turned all the pots, buckets, empty boxes, all the caps over the bushes. But there is still a lot of green left. What should I do? I picked green grass, covered it with amaranth - it survived. Krukneki was covered with earth. In the morning we raked - alive! For experiment, I covered the zucchini with dry peat. The frost has passed, I threw the peat onto the bed - it’s good for the zucchini too! Now I know: in hot weather, peat mulch protects the soil from drying out, and in cold weather, if you cover the sprouts, you can protect it from frost: rake it with a mound.

In the cold Tikhvin region, unfavorable for gardening, I met an elderly vegetable gardener at the beginning of June. She came out of the forest with a huge armful of green willow branches. She explained that there would be frost at night, and the branches were needed to cover the seedlings.

And another piece of advice: if your tomatoes died in the greenhouse and you don’t want to replant them, sow cucumbers in their place! In just a month and a half you will have a harvest.

Of course, spending on electricity or film for double walls in a vegetable house is not exactly affordable for gardeners. I did it simply. I placed two barrels at different ends of the greenhouse and filled them to the top with water. During the day, when it is hot, the water takes away excess heat, accumulates it, and at night the barrels slowly cool down and heat the air and plants. To help the water heat up better, I cover the barrels with film. I’ll put a few branches in the water, submerge them a little, and there will be a film circle on them. I water the plants with warm, almost hot water. This makes them grow better, especially if you add a bucket of fresh mullein to the barrel and it will ferment. A good top dressing comes from nettle cuttings, flavored with a handful of mineral water, after it has all left for a week in a barrel of warm water.

Let me remind the reader about covering materials, which in recent years have been quite widely used by our gardeners as protection from morning frosts, from dry winds, and from insect pests. These are lutrasil and spunbond.

Finnish farmers use lutrasil capes to accelerate the ripening of strawberries: the harvest is harvested ten days earlier. This is profitable: the first berries on the market are much more expensive than “seasonal” ones. There is one subtlety here: during flowering, it is necessary to remove the coverings from the beds so that bees and bumblebees land on the flowers, pollinate, so that the berries are set.

Lutrasil protects against frost by 2 - 3 degrees, depending on the type of material. It can be used without a frame, as a cape. But our practice shows that it turns out better on arches. There will be more room for the growth of the same cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and radishes. Under this protection, the wind does not crush the leaves and no pest will touch our vegetables.

The most important thing is that non-woven materials “breathe”, unlike polyethylene film. This means that if you leave your dacha for the city, you don’t have to worry that the seedlings will “burn” in the heat and freeze in the cold! Excess evaporation from the greenhouse will escape into the atmosphere; healthy air will prevent the development of stem rot, which has such a detrimental effect on the life of the inhabitants of greenhouse towers.

Like any careful gardener, I cover the greenhouse with a durable film that can withstand up to eight seasons without replacement. Inside the greenhouse, over a bed of tomato seedlings on pegs, I stretch a frame made of 0.5 mm fishing string. I throw thin lutrasil muslin over the frame. Frost at night. The film on the greenhouse was completely frozen, but inside, under the lutrasil cover, the seedlings remained green and healthy. To better resist frost, I thought of spraying this shelter with water at night. If it freezes, the plants will still remain alive under the ice shell.

The sun will rise. The grass is white with frost. An ice “coffin” sparkles above the garden bed: under the “crystal” roof, living, healthy palms of zucchini catch the warm morning light.

Please note: some types of covering materials have a “front” and “back” side, which not all gardeners know about. If you stretch the material like a roof, with a slope, and pour water, the front side does not let it through. If you want the rain to drain, cover the greenhouse with the front side up. If you want the rain to water the beds, cover them “facing” inward. Each method is interesting in its own way. Cabbage, of course, will like the shower. What about tomatoes and cucumbers? Think, gentlemen! And I wish you in any spring frost!

From the book “Garden Soul” by Vladimir Mashenkov

Spring return frosts can cause a lot of problems. A sharp drop in temperature can destroy the future harvest, so it is important to prepare for it in time and learn in advance how to protect plantings and seedlings from frost. The danger of spring frosts in the Urals is not so high at the end of April and beginning of May - young plant leaves may freeze along the edges, but over time they will recover. But if frost hits in early June, not only garden crops will suffer, but also fruit trees. Let's figure out the dangers of returning spring frosts, how to predict them and, most importantly, how to prevent their harmful effects on plants.

Why are spring frosts dangerous?

The damage that return frosts can cause to many representatives of heat-loving crops is enormous. In the first months of spring, they do not pose a particular threat: young plants that have just put out leaves will not have time to freeze. In the worst case, only the edges of the leaves will be damaged, but it won’t take long before they recover. A much greater danger is fraught with late return frosts that occur in central Russia until the 10th of June. They coincide with the flowering of berry crops and fruit trees, the emergence and planting of seedlings of heat-loving tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc., for which sudden spring frosts are destructive. Young leaves, flowers and buds are incredibly sensitive to cold and are unable to withstand it. Under the influence of low temperatures, cell sap begins to freeze, which causes ruptures of cell membranes, leading to cell death and, ultimately, to the death of plants.

If the seedlings are not hardened and are poorly rooted, they stop growing at a temperature of -2°C, and the fruiting period is delayed by 2 weeks. Some crops tolerate return frosts well and are able to withstand sharp drops in air temperature. But the majority of plants, after a sharp cold snap, slow down in their development, and their yield noticeably decreases.

What plants can withstand frost?

Radishes, carrots, cabbage, parsnips, lettuce, parsley, onions, horseradish, sorrel, rhubarb, spinach and carrot shoots can withstand temperatures down to -6°C. Garlic, celery, peas, beans, parsnips - up to -5°C, strawberries - up to -9°C, raspberries will withstand a couple of days down to -4°C.

Which plants are afraid of spring frosts?

Seedlings of flowering annuals and heat-loving melon plants creeping along the ground can be damaged even at -1°C. Spring frosts are dangerous for fruits and berries, especially during the formation of ovaries and flowering of the latter, which can lead to loss of yield. The buds of fruit trees freeze slightly at -4°C. Cherries, peaches, apples and pears are especially vulnerable. For them, a drop in temperature even to -2°C is detrimental. If cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, zucchini, pumpkins, squash, beans have already been planted or sprouted, and frost is expected, you need to take care of their preservation, because they cannot tolerate even short-term frosts. Just in case, you need to have seeds for reseeding or spare seedlings.

How to predict spring frosts

Despite the fact that the Ural winters have recently become noticeably warmer, the likelihood of spring return frosts has increased. Of course, it is impossible to predict them 100%. But you can use the hints of Mother Nature and the forecasts of weather forecasters, which, admittedly, have become quite accurate. To be sure that the forecast is correct, it is better to compare data from several sources (television, Internet, etc.).

Folk signs of the arrival of frost

♦ If the thermometer drops to +1-2°C in the evening, it may be frosty at night. Warm-season crops will require shelter.
♦ The absence of clouds in the sky, calm and cessation of precipitation may indicate a subsequent drop in temperature.
♦ Bird cherry blossoms usually foretell an imminent cold snap.

How to protect plants from frost

There are many methods for protecting plants from frost. Some of them, as practice shows, are quite labor-intensive, questionable or ineffective. Let's look at the most popular ones: sprinkling, smoke, shelter, the use of fertilizers and growth stimulants.

Sprinkling method

This method is used when the temperature drops to 0°C. To sprinkle, you need to put a fine sprayer on the watering hose (the stream should look like raindrops) and completely spray the trees and shrubs that may be damaged by frost with water. As the water freezes, heat will be released, which will save the plants. Beds with plants are also watered using a sprayer attached to a hose (watering can), or using a drip irrigation system. Watering is carried out in the evening, literally a few hours before the expected frost. As soon as the temperature drops closer to 0 °C, the water will gradually begin to evaporate. The resulting steam will serve as reliable protection for the plants. The fact is that it has a large heat capacity, which means it will not allow cold air flows to the ground, and plants will be able to safely endure short-term frosts.

The sprinkling method is considered quite effective when frozen to -5°C. True, it will only help in calm weather. Otherwise, your efforts will simply be wasted.

Smoke method

The smoke method, as a means of protecting plants from frost, has been one of the most popular and effective for decades. The essence of the method is that fires are lit in the area and a warm smoke screen is created. It softens the negative effects of frost on plants. Fuel can be straw, sawdust, small brushwood, fallen leaves, potato tops and even manure. It is not so important what material will become the basis for saving fires. The main thing is to prevent it from burning quickly: it is necessary that it does not burn, but smolders, emitting a large amount of smoke. To do this, most of the above materials must be burned wet.

The fire must be arranged in such a way that the smoke spreads throughout the treated area. Determine in advance where the breeze is blowing from (if there is a strong wind, there is no point in using the smoking method). One fire about 1.5 m wide and 40-60 cm high is enough to process 1 hundred square meters. For its construction, pre-prepared material is distributed in this way: about 20 cm of dry material (leaves, brushwood, straw, etc.) is laid on the bottom, and a layer of wet material (up to 40-60 cm) is placed on top, which will be the source of smoke. A three-centimeter layer of earth is evenly distributed on top, leaving a small space in the center: smoke will pass through it. All of the above is true for small areas. If there is a need to use the smoking method over a large area (for example, in large gardens), it is more advisable to use smoke bombs rather than fires. Smoke begins as soon as the thermometer approaches 0°C. It should continue until sunrise: that’s when the temperature reaches its peak minus values. Therefore, by sunrise the area should be covered with a thick layer of smoke. Despite its popularity and a number of advantages, the main ones being the relative ease of execution and low cost, this method also has disadvantages, due to which it is today considered, if not ineffective, then at least questionable. Disadvantages of the smoke method:
♦ Impossibility of use during strong winds.
♦ Not environmentally friendly - smoke from burning dry leaves and other garden waste is harmful.
♦ There must be a slight breeze present for the method to work. It is extremely rare to observe it at night during frost, when the pressure is high. If there is no breeze that could carry warm smoke around the area, then there will be no sense from the smoke either - the smoke will simply go into the sky.

Creating shelters for plants
from scrap materials

Simple structures made of various covering materials and a frame made of wood, reinforcement or metal-plastic pipes - i.e. something like small greenhouses. Creating such shelters will not take much time, and it does not require special knowledge, but the benefits will be enormous. In addition, dismantling them if necessary is as easy as installing them. The simplest shelter, which can safely be called a greenhouse, can be easily constructed from several identical pieces of metal-plastic pipe, bent into an arc and installed in a row at a distance of about 50 cm from each other. An ordinary thick film or any other covering material is stretched on top: 1 layer in case of a slight cold snap and 2 layers if the cold snap promises to be stable.

To protect flowering shrubs - karyopteris, cyanothus, David's buddleia and others - from frost, just wrap them with burlap, film or agrospan. Strawberry flowers, which die already at a temperature of about -1°C, must also be covered with agrospan before the onset of light frosts. Small plants can be covered with cut-off plastic bottles, paper caps or plastic buckets (large cups) from sour cream. Ordinary soil can also be an excellent shelter from frost. So that the potato seedlings are not damaged, it is enough to simply hill them up. Covering hilling will help protect the leaf mass and reliably protect the mother tuber, which means that the potatoes will not be afraid of frost. Hilling can be repeated until the threat of return frosts has completely passed. Covering the potatoes will help protect them. The exception is cases of planting potatoes with mini- and microtubers, botanical seeds, as well as layering and sprouts. The fact is that at the beginning of the growing season these plants are still very weak. After hilling, they simply will not be able to break through the thick layer of soil and will die. Shelters made from scrap materials do an excellent job and reliably protect plants from frost. The main thing to remember is that whatever protective material you use, it should not touch the leaves.

Frost protection in greenhouses and greenhouses

If frosts are expected in the area of ​​-4...-7 °C, you will have to take additional care of the inhabitants of greenhouses and greenhouses: they also need shelter. To do this, you can use old newspapers, burlap or modern covering materials - agrospan, lutrasil, etc. In the case where it is not possible to cover the plants inside the greenhouse (you won’t be removing already grown tomatoes and cucumber vines from the supports), the greenhouse itself must be insulated. To do this, build an additional covering from the same materials. It can be secured both outside and inside. Just don’t attach the second covering close to the first; leave a small air gap between them: this way you are guaranteed to protect all the “inhabitants” of the greenhouse from frost. If plants need to be covered for several days, then it is advisable to use modern covering materials, more about which you can learn from THIS article. It is advisable to remove covers from plants no earlier than 8-9 am.

Cobblestones and plastic bottles can also be effective assistants in this matter. In order to protect plants growing in a greenhouse from return frosts, place cobblestones or dark plastic bottles pre-filled with water near them. Having heated up during the day, they will give off heat at night, working on the principle of radiators.

Using fertilizers against frost

Foliar fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium will also help to effectively resist the destructive effects of frost (down to -5°C). You can use, for example, the drug "Epin", useful information about which you will find in THIS article. Thanks to fertilizing, the accumulation of sugars in the tissues of young plants will increase, the free water content will decrease and the concentration of cell sap will increase, which means the plants will be reliably protected from freezing.
Important: It is necessary to fertilize to increase the frost resistance of plants 10-24 hours before the onset of frost, otherwise such procedures will be of no use.

There is no ideal way to protect plants from returning spring frosts. Each of the above is good in its own way, each has its own disadvantages. Which one you prefer is up to you to decide. But no matter what method you choose, the plants will in any case be grateful for your care and give you a generous harvest.