“Help! I just planted my Fall garden. The first freezing temperatures are approaching! What do I do?!”

Stay calm! All of your Garden In A Box plants are “hardened off”. This means they have been acclimatized to strong sunlight, wind, temperature fluctuations, and they have a thicker “skin” ready for life in the ground. In short, these plants are prepared for the upcoming frequency of freezing temperatures and will soon go dormant for the winter.

Some gardeners like to protect their plants during freezes and some don’t. It’s a matter of preference. That being said, freezing temperatures without snow can be tougher on plants than if there is snow on the ground. A layer of snow acts as insulation against the air temperature. If you just planted a fall garden, than it can’t hurt to give them some extra protection for the first couple freezes.

You can use cardboard boxes or plastic containers to cover them. Avoid anything metal as that can make their immediate environment even colder. Some folks like to use sheets but we recommend firm containers that don’t drape directly over the plants’ foliage. Remove the coverings once the sun is out and air temperatures are back above freezing. After the first few frosts of the season, the plants will go dormant and you won’t need to worry about covering them up anymore. We hope this helps ease your nerves about your new plants as we stare down Winter.