Vermont spring can be a challenge but there are a couple easy ways to prevent early plant damage on cold nights.  Sunny warm days tend to be followed by clear, still, cold nights when frost damage occurs.  Cloudy, windy nights bring chance of freezing. Either way we need to protect our early plantings and strawberries.

Experienced gardeners have used simple cold frames for years as they are a great way to get an early start while providing needed protection for hardy plants like kale, spinach, broccoli, leaf lettuces, etc.  There are many DIY plans for cold frames online but I’ve developed a really simple design that has worked well at higher elevations. 

Using one of my 4’ x 4’ framed raised beds (see previous article on Raised Beds) I install 4 flexible wire hoops over the bed, frame to frame and cover it with a single layer of Agribon 19 row cover.  The material is a thin woven fabric that allows most sunlight and rain through while providing good protection against wind.  It also hides tender plants from hungry deer, woodchucks, and early insect pests! During the day sunlight warms the inside air and soil so that the night temperatures don’t drop too low and the overhead cover prevents frost damage down to the upper 20s. 

Hoops can be ½ inch PVC pipe, long willow branches, or any bendable framework you have available.  I anchor the fabric with bricks and ground staples so it’s easy to open for watering, planting, thinning, etc.  After I’ve transplanted out or harvested the plants the hoops and row cover are easily removed and put away.  Contact Us if you need Agribon or ground staples.

If you have established strawberries remember that strawberry plants grow close to the soil, and given they blossom earlier than many other crops, they are at risk for spring frost and freeze damage.  Row cover laid directly over the plants and anchored along the edges when frost is forecast will protect the tender blossoms.  Remover the cover on sunny days to avoid overheating.

How do you protect your early plants from cold nights?