With temperatures forecast to dip to 27°F this evening, gardeners in Jackson Hole are taking steps to protect their plants from the cold. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, frost-hardy plants and vegetables like spinach and kale can survive a cold night down to 28°F, but any colder than that and there is a risk of damage come sunrise, especially to blossoms.

Protecting Plants from Frost

The easiest and fastest thing a gardener can do for their plants during a frost is cover them up. Most garden stores and nurseries will sell frost cloth, which is made of nonwoven polyester and can be purchased pre-cut or by the yard from a roll. A light bedsheet makes for an inexpensive substitute that works just as well. For the best air circulation, be sure to drape the fabric loosely over the plants, and try not to let it rest directly on the stems; use stakes or other garden tools to prop it up.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac warns not to use plastic sheets or tarps, as they are not breathable. Though, small plants can benefit from being covered by an upside-down bucket, tented newspaper, or a paper bag — just don’t squish the flora. It’s also essential to weigh the edges of the fabric down with rocks or tools to prevent it from blowing off.

Frost cloth or sheets are best applied in the evening before dark the night before a frost. This allows for good visibility, as well as a period of typically low wind. The cloth should be removed in the mid-morning, after temperatures rise.

Original reporting: Buckrail (Jackson WY) — read the source article.