Gardening ~ Landscaping » Warming Your Garden Naturally

Warming Your Garden Naturally

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If you’ve already planted your garden but suddenly find yourself with a few unexpected cool nights- here is a tip to help you protect your plants and warm them naturally. This tip isn’t just for spring, you can use it in the fall to help extend your growing season as well!

warming-your-garden-naturally
Simply fill several buckets with water and place them in the rows of your garden. During the day, when the sun is out in full force, the buckets of water will soak up the heat. At night, as the temperatures drop, the heat is released gradually from the water buckets, warming the garden.

Other warming tips:

~ Young Pepper Plants can be kept warm with Milk Jugs- Simply cut the fat part of the bottom of a jug using an exacto knife and slip the jug over the top of the pepper plant. Leave the Jug-Cover on overnight and remove in the morning once temperatures have reached 60F

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9 thoughts on “Warming Your Garden Naturally”

    • If you paint your buckets/containers black, they will absorb more heat during the day.

      I am going o try 2 liter soda bottles painted black but filled with miracle-gro water to use as needed thru out my high tunnel, I just lost my tomatoes, gotta start over- wish me luck

      Reply
  1. i’m too lazy to tote buckets. in my garden we built raised beds. the sides and top of the bed all absorb heat from the sun because we made cold frames that fit right over the top of each 4×8 bed.

    I put them up in the fall to extend the life of the plants and leave them there to protect my seedlings in the spring.

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  2. if it is a sudden drop in temp a plastic dropcloth will usually hold off the frost till the next day, i keep a couple around for emergency covers, just spread them over the babies and prop them up a bit in the middle. i rarely lose anything when i do this,

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  3. what great ideas, thanks for sharing! i especially like the one with the milk jugs, though i do wonder which provides the most warmth- or rather, for the longest period?!

    Reply
  4. another great idea for using the gallon milk jugs filled with water is to drape a piece of plastic over your young plant… in between the rows of milk jugs and secure the ends by opening the milk jugs and secure the ends of the plastic by screwing the lid back down. just be sure that the plastic doesn’t come in contact with your young plants.this is of course is for overnight low temperatures, then remove the plastic when you wake up the next morning.

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  5. for unexpected cold snaps, i have covered plants with upside down pots, putting a rock on top to keep them in place and cover the drainage hole. i have used both plastic pots as well as terra cotta or ceramic, and that worked well. just remember to remove the pots, or the rock so that the plants don’t get overheated if the sun comes out.

    also, a light weight fabric, such as an old sheet or sheer curtains draped over the plants will also help keep them protected.

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