Do frost prevention bags really work in protecting tender plants?

WILLIAM
by WILLIAM

Frost prevention bags are touted as protection against cold winds and frost for garden plants. Are they really effective in Zones 8 and 9?

  4 answers
  • I am in Zone 9 and we are experiencing one of our "Santa Ana" wind events and had a freeze warning the last few nights. Wind is whipping the smoke and ash all over southern CA from the Woolsey fire. (250,000 people evacuated and current home loss at 170 but will go up), I have never used one of those bags, but I did wrap a baby tree with a ripped up old sheet to protect it from the wind. I placed a couple tomato cages over the tree and wrapped it with the sheet. It is helping. The rest of my plants, oh well, they will make it or they won't. I moved what I could to a protected area and will hope for the best. If you have tender young plants, it sure couldn't hurt, home made or purchased - worth a try.

  • Deb K Deb K on Nov 11, 2018

    Hi William, they do help as it is the actual touching of the frost that kills the plant, with the cover on, the frost touches the cover not the plant and protects it.

  • Grandma Grandma on Nov 12, 2018

    As a small child I helped my parents cover the garden with old bed sheets, straw , etc, shingle slats anything to make a barrier from frost on a late spring freeze. anything to protect from . The garden a necessity as it was with most of our neighbors. Grandma G age 86

  • DesertRose DesertRose on Nov 14, 2018

    We love the frost prevention material and bags we bought to protect against frost. It will keep them from frost but not a hard winter freeze. If it frosts or gets close, they will be fine, but not if it gets down to say 5 deg F and stays that way all night.