First, its always wise to have a sense of the first frost date in your area.
This is an average, and can be found by searching the internet, or going to thefarmers almanac.
Almost any weather app on your phone will give you frost warnings as part of their regular notifications.
you could find local gardening groups on Facebook, Reddit and even NextDoor.
Prepare your water systems
The thing about a frost is that things tend to freezenamely, water.
First, give your yard a good watering (more on that in a bit).
Then you shouldbleed your irrigation and sprinkler system.
Next, disconnect your hoses and ensure theyre well drained, which means uncoiling them.
Finally, cover your outdoor faucets/spigots withinsulated covers.
All your electric and gas tools should be moved inside for winter rather than be exposed to the cold.
Anyollas(under-fired earthenware watering containers people place in their gardens) should be removed and stored.
Any pots that havent beenweatherproofedshould also go into the garage or greenhouse for winter.
Many people provide spaces for local cats to cozy down by creatingoutdoor sheltersfor them.
I take time to check that holes are plugged up with steel wool and rat traps are baited.
Prepare your plants
Lets get down to business:protecting your plants.
A freeze is an extended frost reinforced by cold air, in which the ice permeates entire structures.
Many plants can weather a frost, but not a freeze.
Most of them wont survive a frost, so I hope you likegreen tomatoes.
It will likely take out your annual flowers, but thats meant to happen.
Plants that cant survive a frost arent likely to survive winter, and shouldnt be babied through it.
As the weather continues to shift, the goal should be to encourage resilience in your plants.
That said, preparing your plants for winter should always involvemulchingthem well.
Finally, you want to confirm you water before the frost.
I know this seems counterintuitive, but doing so the night before will insulate the plant’s roots.
