Frost 101

The First Frost

The first frost is a big deal in the gardening world. It signals the end of a growing season and the start of winter. Remember when I had you look up your growing zone? You should also have checked your first frost date. Refer back to this post HERE if you need a refresher.

This date is kind of like a gardeners deadline. It can damage sensitive plants by causing the water in the plant cells to freeze leading to cell damage and death. This happens to most annuals that are not cold hardy.

The soil also changes after that deadline as the ground gets colder and freezes. This impacts the availability of nutrients in the soil and slows down the decomposition process. The roots of your plants also slow down and some become dormant. The water available to them is limited and root growth is inhibited.

Frost is great at killing off and reducing pests and diseases. This is one of natures ways of taking care of itself. Aphids, some caterpillars and some beetles cannot handle the cold are killed off or populations are reduced. Some fungal diseases like powdery mildew are less active and dormant in the winter which slows their spread and reduces the risk of infection

One of my favorite things about the frost is the way it reduces the weeds in my garden. Spring and early fall are big weed times for me so it’s nice to have a little break from the weeds for awhile.

Homework: recheck for your first frost date HERE. See my November garden checklist HERE for some things to do before or after your first frost.