With temperatures fluctuating from warm to freezing through the winter months, prepare your crops against the devastating effects of frost and freeze.
Types of Frost
Frosts are frequently classified as either advective or radiative, depending
on the atmospheric conditions under which they occur. An advective frost occurs
when cold air from another region moves into an area and winds remain relatively
strong. Radiative frosts are produced locally and occur only during clear, calm
nights.
What Causes Frost Damage on Plants?
Plant damage caused by frosts or freezes is the result of ice crystals
forming within plant cells and the spaces between the cells. Crystals grow and
rupture cell walls, similar to poking a hole in a water-filled balloon. The special "glue" holding
cells together is destroyed; plants fail to maintain any shape.
Bacteria on plant surfaces act as catalysts for ice formation. As temperatures drop, the number of bacterial cells which become ice-nucleating active (INA) increase. At certain temperatures, particles of dust, clay and sand can also act as catalysts for the formation of ice.
Frost-sensitive plants and the fruit of many plant species cannot tolerate ice formation within the tissues, breaking down to become flaccid and discolored as the plant warms again.
Plant Care- Keep plants well watered. Frost injury occurs when ice crystals form on the leaf surface, drawing moisture from the leaf tissue. The damage from this dehydration will be less severe if the plant is not already drought-stressed.
- Firm, bare, moist soil absorbs more heat and loses it more rapidly than soil that is loose, dry, or covered with mulch or vegetation.
- Manage your irrigation carefully, keeping the moisture level as even as possible. There are products marketed to protect plants from frost damage. Read the label carefully.
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