A powerful Nor’easter storm has brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to the East Coast this weekend, which will stretch into Monday.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to protect your gardens and potted plants from cold temperatures this weekend.
This storm is ushering in coastal flooding and travel advisories across the East Coast, including North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and southern New England.
Around 1 to 3 feet of rain and 20 to 40 mph wind gusts are expected for the Northeast areas, which means your fall garden may need some extra tending to after the storm passes.
Wet weather can bring bacterial and fungal diseases to your garden, as well as a lack of pollination, rapid weed growth, out-of-control bugs taking over your plants, and splitting fruits. This is certainly not ideal for those waiting on a fall harvest.
We are breaking down the best ways to protect your garden for cold weather, according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac:
Cold Frames
Cold frames offer a great way to protect your plants from strong winds and retain heat; these handy frames can also be useful if you want to extend your growing season.
These may be a bit of an investment if you don’t already have them, but cold frames can be purchased premade. It is essentially a wooden structure around your plants with a sheet of plastic or glass on top to protect your crops.
Row Covers
Row covers are perfect to have on hand for storms because they can easily be removed from your garden whenever you don’t need them.
They are transparent protective structures made out of heavy plastic or polyethylene sheets held up with metal hoops. They are the perfect barriers to protect your plants from the rain.
When purchasing row covers, make sure you are getting the right height and width for your garden to ensure your plants have plenty of space underneath.
DON’T MISS…
Protect your potting containers
If your plants are in potting containers, the Old Farmers’ Almanac warns that persistently wet potting soil is the biggest enemy of crops. Whether your area is receiving rain or frost, you will want to ensure your containers are set onto pot feet or you can improvise by placing the pots on some small rocks.
The main objective is to ensure there’s some drainage space under your pots for when it rains. If it’s very cold out, wrap the pots with bubble plastic or burlap to prevent the containers from cracking.
You can also move your pots inside for the duration of the storm to protect them.
Horticultural Fleece
Horticultural fleece is made out of thin, nonwoven, porous polypropylene fabric, according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac. These covers can be laid over your crops to protect them from moisture, frost, and snow.
While some moisture will seep through these covers, your plants won’t be completely drenched. This fleece also makes for an efficient way to remove snow from on top of your plants.
Greenhouses
This may be outside of the budget; however, if you love to garden and live somewhere rainy, a greenhouse is a great investment to protect your plants.
A greenhouse will extend your growing season and allow you to control the elements from affecting your bountiful harvest.
Bubble Wrap
For when temperatures get frosty and icy, bubble wrap can be laid over your plants to protect them from the cold temperatures and moisture.
The bubbles trap air, making for a budget-friendly and DIY way to insulate your plants.
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