If you got excited by warm weather earlier this April and started planting early, impending cold weather doesn't have to mean tragedy. Melinda Myers explains how you can prepare.
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00:00We've got extensive cold weather on the way here.
00:03Well, at least in parts of the country.
00:05Frost and freeze could be returning.
00:08Yeah, and here with health and tips for your garden
00:11is nationally known gardening expert, Melinda Myers.
00:16I have to say something, Melinda.
00:17We were talking off camera.
00:18Melinda, you know what we always say here in meteorology?
00:21You can never beat the weather or mother nature.
00:24You can only tire.
00:27That is so true.
00:29That's like a saying for us meteorologists.
00:33All right, Melinda.
00:34With that, let's just get right to it.
00:37This weather, is it bad news
00:39if you've already begun your spring planting?
00:42Well, I'm located in the Midwest.
00:43So we had our hard freeze last week
00:45and I just wanted to bring a little optimism.
00:47These were my daffodils I just picked this morning
00:50so they survived.
00:51So some plants can tolerate the cold.
00:53Pansies, daffodils, your early spring bulbs.
00:56But if you got busy putting out tomatoes
00:59and peppers and basil,
01:01those things are very frost sensitive.
01:03Those need to be covered when the frost is in the forecast.
01:07So I brought out an old bed sheet.
01:09I always have extra ones that aren't worth donating
01:12or using so that when we have frost in the forecast,
01:15I can cover the plants late in the day,
01:17remove it in the morning.
01:19What I like better though
01:20is a product called Floating Row Cover.
01:22Lots of different brands.
01:24It lets air, light and water through.
01:26So what I can do is cover my plants,
01:28leave it intact until we know that frosty weather has passed.
01:32It also helps speed up seed germination,
01:35protects those tomatoes.
01:37Even when it's not frosty,
01:38they can be damaged when the temperatures are 40 degrees.
01:41And there's a good example of bulbs under snow.
01:44And really it's amazing when the snow melts.
01:48I've seen pansies covered in ice in the morning
01:51and the ice melted and they still looked great.
01:54Now there are things, as I mentioned,
01:56like pansies and others
01:58that will tolerate some cooler temperatures.
02:00So if you have your cabbage out, it will be fine.
02:03Your kale, cauliflower and broccoli,
02:06if they're small plants and they get frosted,
02:08they can do what's called button
02:10and they just form a little head that never develops.
02:13Now some of you may be going, I don't have extra sheets
02:16or I can't invest in the row cover.
02:18But if you have a gallon milk jug,
02:19this makes a great cloche.
02:21All you need to do is cover your plant,
02:24lift the cap off when the weather's warm,
02:27take it off when we know frost is gone,
02:30but cover those up, leave it protected.
02:32You can also invest in something like a cloche
02:36that has vents as well, that works very well.
02:39But I know a lot of times we think,
02:41what do I have in the house that I can use?
02:43So I always look for options that are easy,
02:46recyclable and something you have on hand.
02:49Oh my gosh, so many great tips.
02:51I'm certainly going to keep these in mind
02:54and maybe even use them in the future
02:56if I ever try to at least start that green thumb.
03:00I know you spoke about what you can use in your house.
03:04Are there any other things that you can think of right now
03:08when people are out, maybe starting their gardening
03:12and now we have this freeze on the way,
03:14is there anything if people can't head out
03:17that you haven't mentioned?
03:19You know, I think a couple of things,
03:21work with your garden center.
03:22Most of them are really good about telling you what to do.
03:25When you buy your plants,
03:27if you're getting them right from the greenhouse,
03:29think about it, they're in warm, humid environment.
03:32We're going to put them outside.
03:33So we need to do what's called hardening off
03:36and we gradually introduce them to the more intense sunlight
03:39and the tougher growing conditions outside.
03:42So the first day you move the plant out
03:44for an hour of sunshine, you bring it back in.
03:47I have carts on wheels that I can wheel mine
03:50out of the garage, back in.
03:52And every day you increase the number of days
03:54that they're receiving the sunlight.
03:57You're going to stop fertilizing
03:58until you get it in the ground.
03:59And that way, even the frost tolerant plants
04:02will be more adapted.
04:03And you can see folks here covering
04:05and that's using that row cover, that floating row cover.
04:08And what's great, it's reusable
04:10as long as you don't have tears in it.
04:12My pieces keep getting smaller every year
04:15because I have big pieces,
04:17I cover gardens like she's doing here.
04:19And then if it gets a tear, I cut it off
04:21and I'll use those smaller sections
04:23for smaller areas of the garden.
04:25So hardening off your plants
04:27so they're ready for the outdoors.
04:29Having something handy, we want to uncover
04:32when the temperatures are above freezing
04:34because those plants need the sunlight.
04:36But that's where that row cover comes in handy.
04:38You know, often we get a few days of frosty weather
04:41and then it's fine.
04:42You can leave that row cover in place,
04:44which is great for those of us that are little,
04:47not lazy, but low input gardeners.
04:50Oh, well, I've certainly learned so much
04:52just by talking to you.
04:54Certainly going to maybe put some of these tips to the test.
04:58Gardening expert, Melinda Myers,
05:00thank you again for joining us this morning.
05:02Thank you.