As winter approaches, many gardeners worry about the survival of their crops in extreme cold weather. However, with proper preparation and insulation, it is possible to protect plants from even the harshest of conditions. In this article, we will explore the methods used by one gardener to protect their plants during a recent cold snap, and examine the resilience of various crops in the face of extreme cold.
Key Takeaways
- Proper insulation and protection can help plants survive even in extremely cold temperatures.
- Snow can be an effective natural insulator for plants.
- Adding extra layers of plastic or cover can provide additional protection for crops.
Extreme Cold Weather Preparation
During a recent cold snap, with temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit and a low of negative 23, the speaker took measures to protect their plants from the extreme cold. They did not remove the snow from the north side of the hoop house or from the ground around the base of the entire hoop house. However, they removed the snow from the south side because they had a number of very sunny days, and in their experience, the benefits of the warmth from the sun would outweigh the insulation value of the snow.
The speaker covered their door on the outside and inside with six mil greenhouse film. They buried the bottom of the plastic in snow for a little extra insulation. The seal around the door is where there is probably the greatest risk of losing heat and for cold air to get in, so they covered it on both sides.
The speaker added more cover to their crops instead of using supplemental heat. They had two layers of cover, one provided by the hoop house and one provided by the low tunnels and cold frames inside. They had agribon row cover directly over the plants, and they used old greenhouse film that’s no longer good for a permanent structure like the hoop house. They had at least two more layers of plastic on all of their structures, bringing the total to around five layers of cover.
The speaker inspected all of their plants and did not find a single one that was lost to the cold. Despite the record cold, all they did to protect their plants, in addition to the two layers of cover they always have, was not to remove the snow from the north side of the hoop house or from the ground on the perimeter, cover the door on the outside and inside, and put a couple of extra layers of plastic over the low tunnels and cold frame.
This experience shows that plants are a lot more cold-hardy than most people think. The speaker grew things like lettuce, Claytonia, spinach, kale, and Mizuna, and these plants easily survived the low of 12 degrees Fahrenheit in the hoop house.
Hoop House Insulation
After experiencing seven consecutive days of temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit, the speaker decided to protect their plants from the extreme cold by adding extra insulation to their hoop house. The first step was to not remove the snow from the north side of the hoop house or from the ground around the base of the entire hoop house. This allowed the snow to act as an excellent insulator. However, the snow was removed from the south side of the hoop house because they had a number of very sunny days, and in the speaker’s experience, the benefits of the warmth from the sun outweighed the insulation value of the snow.
The second step was to cover the door on both the outside and inside with six mil greenhouse film. The seal around the door is where there is probably the greatest risk of losing heat and for cold air to get in, so covering it on both sides was important. The speaker also buried the bottom of the plastic in snow for a little extra insulation.
Inside the hoop house, the speaker added more cover instead of using supplemental heat. They had their usual two layers of cover, one provided by the hoop house and one provided by the low tunnels and cold frames inside. Then, they had agribon row cover directly over the plants, and the speaker used old greenhouse film that’s no longer good for a permanent structure like the hoop house but still useful for covering compost or setting up temporary low tunnels. This plastic worked very well for the speaker’s purposes. They had at least two more layers of plastic on all of their structures, bringing the total to around five layers of cover.
Despite a record low of negative 23 degrees Fahrenheit, the speaker’s plants survived without any supplemental heat. They did a close inspection of all of their plants and did not find a single one that was lost to the cold. The speaker learned that these plants are a lot more cold hardy than most people think, and they can tolerate some pretty cold temperatures.
This video shows that a hoop house can provide enough protection from the cold to allow for winter crop harvesting without the need for expensive supplemental heat. Adding extra plastic may seem like a hassle, but it can make a huge difference in protecting plants from extreme cold.
Plant Survival
After experiencing seven consecutive days with temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit, the speaker decided to protect their plants from the extreme cold. Snow was an excellent insulator, so the speaker did not remove the snow from the north side of the hoop house or from the ground around the base of the entire hoop house. However, the speaker removed the snow from the south side because they had a number of very sunny days, and in their experience, the benefits of the warmth from the sun would outweigh the insulation value of the snow.
The speaker covered the door on the outside and inside with six mil greenhouse film because the seal around the door was where there was probably the greatest risk of losing heat and for cold air to get in. They also buried the bottom of the plastic and snow for a little extra insulation. The speaker added more cover instead of bringing a space heater out because they did not want to compromise the seal on the door or lose heat to the outside through the compromised door seal.
The speaker added at least two more layers of plastic on all of their structures, bringing the total to around five layers of cover. All of their plants survived the record low of negative 23 degrees Fahrenheit without any supplemental heat. The plants were protected by the two layers of cover they always have, in addition to the extra cover the speaker added. The speaker learned that these plants are a lot more cold hardy than most people think.
Plant Resilience
After experiencing seven consecutive days of temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of negative 23, the speaker decided to protect their plants from the extreme cold. They left the snow on the north side of the hoop house and the ground around the base of the entire hoop house as snow is an excellent insulator. However, they removed the snow from the south side as they had a number of very sunny days, and in their experience, the benefits of the warmth from the sun outweighed the insulation value of the snow.
To further protect their plants, the speaker covered the door on the outside and inside with six mil greenhouse film, as the seal around the door is where there’s probably the greatest risk of losing heat and for cold air to get in. They also buried the bottom of the plastic in snow for a little extra insulation.
The speaker added more cover instead of using supplemental heat, which can be very expensive. They used their usual two layers of cover, one provided by the hoop house, and one provided by the low tunnels and cold frames inside. Then, they had agribon row cover directly over the plants, and old greenhouse film that’s no longer good for a permanent structure like the hoop house, but still works well for things like covering compost and setting up temporary low tunnels.
After the cold period, the speaker did a close inspection of all their plants and did not find a single one that was lost to the cold. The plants easily survived the low of 12 in the hoop house, which shows that they can tolerate some pretty cold temperatures.
The speaker hopes this video shows what can be done without even using supplemental heat, which can be very expensive. If someone thinks adding all that extra plastic is a hassle, they should keep in mind that it’s the first time the speaker has done it in their fourth winter growing in this hoop house.
Overall, the speaker’s plants showed remarkable resilience to the extreme cold, and the speaker’s methods of protection proved successful in keeping the plants alive.
Winter Harvesting with a Hoop House
After experiencing seven consecutive days with temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit, the speaker decided to protect their plants from the extreme cold by using a hoop house. To prevent heat loss, the speaker did not remove the snow from the north side of the hoop house or from the ground around the base of the entire hoop house. However, they removed the snow from the south side to take advantage of the warmth from the sun.
The speaker covered the door on the outside and inside with six mil greenhouse film to seal the door and prevent cold air from getting in. They also buried the bottom of the plastic in snow for extra insulation. The speaker used their usual two layers of cover, one provided by the hoop house and one provided by the low tunnels and cold frames inside. Additionally, they added agribon row cover directly over the plants and used old greenhouse film for temporary low tunnels and covering compost.
The speaker had at least two more layers of plastic on all of their structures, bringing the total to around five layers of cover. After the cold period, they removed all of the extra plastic to check on the plants. The plants were covered in agribon row cover and had droopiness due to the cold. However, after giving them time to warm up, the speaker inspected all of their plants and did not find a single one that was lost to the cold.
The speaker did not use any supplemental heat and protected their plants by adding more cover. They grew lettuce, claytonia, spinach, kale, cataleya, and Mizuno, which are more cold-hardy than most people think. The speaker hopes that the video shows how much can be done without using expensive supplemental heat. The speaker also adds that adding extra plastic to the hoop house is not a hassle and can be done easily.
Overall, the speaker’s plants survived the record cold, and they learned that plants are more cold-hardy than most people think. The speaker advises that adding extra cover can be an effective way to protect plants from the cold, and a hoop house or greenhouse can provide enough protection to allow winter harvesting.