It’s been an unusually warm start to fall in many areas of North America, my home in west central Missouri is no exception where we’re still seeing temperatures up into the 90s F the past few days. But I know we’re inching closer to our usual first frost date and I’m most certainly going to be prepared because our weather is notorious for changing practically overnight and then changing again.

If you’re somewhere that experiences frost, which is basically anywhere up through USDA Hardiness zone 10, it pays to be prepared for the unexpected. Sometimes you may only have a few hours warning that a frost is coming overnight and scrambling to find everything you need at the last minute and covering plants in the dark is no fun. Especially when the forecast shows a two-week warm up after one night of frost.

On today’s episode of Just Grow Something we’ll review what the USDA Hardiness Zone map actually means, what temperatures differentiate a frost from a freeze, which crops can survive an initial frost, and different options for frost and freeze protection in the garden. By the end you should have a pretty good idea of what you’ll need to have on hand based on your hardiness zone, what you’re growing in the garden and how much work you want to put into to protecting your plants from the cold. Let’s dig in!

Resources and References:

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

2023 Frost Dates: First and Last Frost Dates by ZIP Code | The Old Farmer's Almanac | Almanac.com

Portable Mini Greenhouse

Pop-Up Mini Greenhouse

Five Crops to Plant in Fall for Winter Harvest, Zone by Zone - Ep. 163

Crops to Plant in Fall and Harvest in Spring - Ep. 164

Get Magic Mind: Use code JustGrow20 at checkout

Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group

Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon

Follow me on Instagram