Frost in our gardens

Frost is a wonderful feature of winter. This year I've started Tracking with my Yorkshire Terriers and often find myself out in the early morning fog, or rain, setting a track. This morning it was frost - so widespread it looked like a white sheet spread across the fields and paddocks. Crunching under my feet, as I walked to set the track, the frost was also icy cold and quickly numbed my fingers as I set articles out through the track on the icy ground. Such an exuberant feeling it is, to be so close to nature and the wonders it bestows upon us.

But I'm not so happy about the frost when it comes to my garden, as I grow many plants in Gippsland that are not frost-resistant and I must do all I can to protect them. Many times through the years, I have lost plants to a frost when I haven't covered them. Worse still, plants I cannot cover, like my Tree Dahlia, can survive mild frosts but are always decimated by a heavy frost. This year it has bloomed beautifully but in previous years it has been killed off before the buds had a chance to open.

I guess we are all in the same boat I hear you say, as frost even affects our temperate and tropical areas like Queensland here in Australia.

During the day, our plants and also the soil, absorb and store heat from the sun. As night comes down, plants begin to lose this stored heat. The clouds above will help to insulate and slow the loss of heat, but a windless, cloudless night will offer no protection. The temperature in the soil and in the plant will even go down a few degrees colder than the air.

Decreasing temperatures causes the moisture in the air to condense into dew. This will freeze then, when the temperature finally falls to 32 degrees F. on the plant. Damage to most plants could be minimal if you are lucky and maybe only a small part of the plant is affected i.e., the tips of the leaves. When the temperature drops down low enough for plant cells to freeze, non-hardy plants will not survive.

Weather can create frost even in some areas that are usually not prone to frost. So it is important to watch your local weather forecasts for any signs of upcoming frosts or major changes to your weather patterns.

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