| Potassium sprays such as potassium 
dextrolactate applied a day or so before the expected frost will give 
several degrees of protection.  Since the effect only lasts two days at the 
most it doesn't work on massive multi-day freezes.    Bob Purvis, the Nafex apricot consultant, 
swears by it. Here's one source that mentions use of KDL as part of a spray 
program for peaches. I don't know about peer-reviewed research into the 
effectiveness.   Steve Herje, Lone Rock, WI USDA zone 
3-4 
  ----- Original Message -----  Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2007 11:27 
  AM Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Basic Frost 
  Protection Questions 
 Freeze damage is ususally caused by ice crystals bursting cells or doing 
  other damage.  I'm just wondering here if anyone knows of any serious 
  research regarding absorbable sprays or soil amendements that could be taken 
  up by plants to increase plant cell resistance to freeze damage?   John   > 
    I hope you all will excuse the bonehead questions about frost 
    protection.
 
 
 Heh, heh. You obviously haven't been here long enough 
    to see all of MY
 boneheaded questions! But this group is very patient 
    and very helpful.
 If they haven't thrown me out yet, I don't think you 
    have anything to
 worry about.
 
 Regarding frost protection, we had 
    a long discussion about that last
 spring. I haven't been here too long, 
    but I suspect that it probably
 comes up every year. It is, after all, a 
    perennial bane. (You might try
 checking the archives.)
 
 What I got 
    from our discussion is that there are a variety of tactics
 that might or 
    might not help, depending on how many plants you must
 protect and - 
    especially - how cold it gets. If you only need a degree
 or two of 
    protection, something as simple as running a sprinkler all
 night can 
    sometimes help. On the other hand, sometimes nothing will do
 any good. 
    Last spring, after a very warm March, temps here dropped way
 below 
    freezing for five nights in a row (lowest was 17°). Nothing I did
 - and 
    probably nothing I could do - made the slightest difference.
 
 I'm just 
    a newbie, but in your case, I'd suggest just using TWO layers
 of frost 
    cloth, rather than pay to have frames built. One layer doesn't
 do much, 
    especially if it's touching the plant, but two will have some
 air 
    between them for insulation. If you think you need more than that,
 run 
    an extension cord out to it and put an incandescent light bulb under
 the 
    cloths. Or you can use Xmas tree lights, jugs of water, or anything
 that 
    will provide just a little heat.
 
 Yes, you'll have to take these off 
    between frosts. I don't know exactly
 what you're trying to do. In my 
    case, it would be a matter of delaying
 the first fall frost a bit (for 
    vegetables) or protecting early growth
 from a late freeze. If you expect 
    to do this all winter, it would be a
 LOT of work, and maybe you should 
    think about what you're planting. Or
 maybe some kind of semi-permanent 
    greenhouse structures would make more
 sense.
 
 One other thing: for 
    me, here in Nebraska, the wind is usually a factor.
 We tend to get 
    colder on still nights, but it can still be windy during
 the day, which 
    makes it extremely difficult to erect cloth shelters. And
 last April, 
    during our cold snap, the wind howled all day and all night.
 Not only 
    did it blow off almost everything I tried to use, but I don't
 suppose 
    the 'two-layers of cloth' idea would work as well when the wind
 is 
    whipping things around. Things are probably different for you, but I
 thought I'd mention it. I'm almost to the point that I'm just going to
 accept whatever the weather does and try to live with it. But if you
 just need to get past a night or two of cold weather, it might be worth 
    it.
 
 To repeat, though, I'm just a newbie at all this, not at all an 
    expert.
 I am learning - this list has been extremely helpful - but I 
    have a long
 way to go. Still, if I misled you about anything, I'm sure 
    someone more
 experienced will correct me.
 
 Good 
    luck,
 
 Bill
 Lincoln, NE (zone 5)
 
 --
 Blind faith can 
    justify anything. In a man believes in a different god,
 or even if he 
    uses a different ritual for worshipping the same god,
 blind faith can 
    decree that he should die - on the cross, at the stake,
 skewered on a 
    Crusader's sword, shot in a Beirut street, or blown up in
 a bar in 
    Belfast. - Richard 
    Dawkins
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