![Two Plants Covered to Protect from Frost, the Right Way and the Wrong Way](https://mltsrvflhbok.i.optimole.com/cb:bgz1.54fb7/w:1024/h:1024/q:mauto/f:best/https://www.kerbysnursery.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Untitled-design-1.jpg)
The temps are dropping, which means it’s time to start prepping your plants for the cold! Here are 3 ways to care for your plants during a cold snap.
1. Cover your plants properly.
Use the ghost method instead of the lollipop method when covering your trees. The ghost method completely covers the plant and allows warmth from the ground to keep the plant snug under the blanket. The lollipop method leaves the trunk exposed and, without the added heat from the ground, the temperature under the blanket is the same as the outside air.
2. Reduce the frequency of waterings.
When the temperatures drop, plants use less energy and need less water. Water in well before the cold and then let them ride out the next few days. Note: never try to protect plants by icing. Leave that to the strawberry farmers.
3. Only cover with frost blankets or some sort of fabric. Never use plastic. Frost blankets keep frost off, raise temperatures, and allow plants to breathe and get sunshine. In really cold situations, you can leave frost blankets on for a few days. Plastic suffocates plants and where it makes contact with leaves causes cold damage.