Impending frost...

clarawicks

hi all

as a new gardener, with seedlings I have planted where they are to flower, as per their instructions and my naivety, these reports of a frost are worrying me! What can I do to protect the little shoots I have excitedly watch spring up over the last couple of weeks? Can I / should I cover them with something?? And what about more mature plants, new garden centre purchases not yet established, as well as shrubs starting to prepare their little blooms and new leaves?

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pansyface

YES, WELL, WE HAVE ALL GONE THROUGH THE STAGES OF RUSHING ABOUT LIKE A BLUE ARSED FLY TRYING TO COVER UP TENDER PLANTS BEFORE A LATE FROST. SOME OF US HAVE LEARNED TO HOLD OUR HORSES AND NOT PLANT ANYTHING UNTIL RISK OF FROST IS OVER. SOME OF US HAVE NOT LEARNED AND STILL RUSH ABOUT LIKE BLUE ARSED FLIES.

YOU'LL REACH YOUR OWN STATE OF PEACE AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE INEVITABLE.

nutcutlet

Clara, it all depends on what the plants are. Hardy plants direct sown will be fine. Tender ones won't. Hardy plants bought from outdoor sales areas at a GC will be fine, those from cossetting environments might not be. Tender plants won't like it at all

Dovefromabove

What sort of seedlings?  If they're hardy annuals/perennials they should be fine   

The half-hardy ones shouldn't have been sown yet.  Mine are still in the packets.  I've known snow in June - in Suffolk.  Most shrubs will be ok ... some leaves/blooms may get frosted but it's unlikely to kill hardy plants.  

If you've got small fruit trees in blossom it might be worthwhile draping them with fleece overnight but otherwise, as Pansyface says, it's not worth getting in a tizz over something we can do nothing about 

I've just popped out and put some bubble wrap over the seedlings in the little  lean-to greenhouse and now we'll just all cross our fingers together.

pansyface

I WENT THROUGH THE FLEECE DRAPING PHASE BUT IT USUALLY RAINED AFTER THE FROST AND BEFORE I COULD REMOVE IT AND THE DAMAGE WAS PROBABLY GREATER THAN IF I HAD JUST LEFT WELL ALONE.

nutcutlet

Survival of the fittest here. 

Though I did put my new lavender under cover, It looked a bit soft, though  I bought it from an outdoor sales area. It may not have been out there long

Dovefromabove

The blossom on my espalier pear is over now, and it's in a fairly sheltered corner so hopefully it should be ok.  The gooseberries are plumping up but hopefully they're in a sheltered enough spot too.  The broad beans are in full flower - hopefully they'll be ok too .... fingers crossed. 

nutcutlet

It's nothing we haven't seen before is it? OH's birthday is May 5th, we've had snow showers for that many times over the years.

Fairygirl

Same here nut - if they die, they die!

We often have winter weather right through till May here - even at lower levels - so I don't grow things that need a lot of cossetting. We've had several frosts in the last few days. A reasonably hardy annual  - even a small one - won't bother about  that. 

Dovefromabove

My fruit and beans are a bit further ahead than usual at this time of year so a bit more vulnerable ... but that's Sod's Law isn't it 

It's usually wet windy weather that spoils things around here at this time of year - none of that - so far! 

Dovefromabove

That'll be why Monty and a few others of us still take our dahlias up for the winter then 

If you've got some big tomato pots I'd stuff them with straw or hay, or crumpled fleece if that's all you have, and up-end them over the dahlias.  Put a brick on top so they don't get blown around and break the new young shoots.