Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Frost protection

nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Amlie & Hayas <tamlie@netscape.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Frost protection
  • Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:45:21 -0400

I think that you might run into more of a problem if you have clear, sunny, calm days. The sealed clear plastic bag might act as a greenhouse and really get the plants going, especially if there's no ventilation at all in the bag.

Tom

At 11:56 AM 4/3/2007, you wrote:

> Every time I used a single sheet of anything for frost protection, I learned I wasted my time and the plant I tried to protect got fried by frost to the same degree as unprotected plants got frosted. One sheet of anything, whether it be plastic or bed sheet or(?) is worthless. TWO sheets, however, can trap an insulating layer of air between them affording some protection.
> ...
> ...
> Another option is to cover them with visqueen (plastic). Visqueen is clear and will let light through while protecting the blooms from frost.
>


Well, they're still forecasting mid-20's here for the next five nights,
so I bought some visqueen-type plastic and also some clear 55 gal.
plastic bags (commercial bags for 55-gal drums). I thought I'd put TWO
plastic bags (for the insulating layer of air) over the bushes and very
small trees, and TWO sheets of clear plastic over the larger fruit
trees, grapes, etc. I hoped that would insulate them well enough, and I
figured that, since the clear plastic would let light through, I could
put them on today and take them off next Sunday.

However, I just talked to the master gardeners at my county extension
service, and they tell me that plastic is the last thing I should use,
because plants need to breathe. They said that this would do more damage
to my plants than the freeze. Is that true?

I really can't remove all this every morning and install it again every
night. Maybe I could take them off for a breather after a few days? Or I
could loosen the plastic at the bottom every morning, to let some air in
during the day. What do you think? I really need some advice here,
because I'm all set to start working on this stuff. Do I need to worry
about my fruit trees and bushes not getting enough air for 5-6 days?

Thanks much,

Bill
Lincoln, NE (Zone 5)

--
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to
persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring. - Carl Sagan
_______________________________________________
nafex mailing list
nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Reproduction of list messages or archives is not allowed.
This includes distribution on other email lists or reproduction on web sites.
Permission to reproduce is NEVER granted, so don't claim you have permission!

**YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO POST!**
Posts from email addresses that are not subscribed are discarded.
No exceptions.
----
To subscribe or unsubscribe, go to the bottom of this page (also can be used to change other email options):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/nafex

File attachments are NOT stripped by this list.
TAKE STEPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES!
Please do not send binary files.
Use plain text ONLY in emails!

NAFEX web site: http://www.nafex.org/





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page