What's the best way to protect a cactus garden from frost?
by
J_k33290056
+4
I planted a cactus garden this summer. We have mild winters here in the central coast of CA. but we do get frost with occasional temperatures below 30 deg. I’ve used burlap but it didn’t work in the past. Should I double sheet the burlap or is there something better to protect my prickly garden?
Drape in plastic.
I would check with your garden center. Not Home Depot or Lowes but a garden center that has experts that deal with cactus and how to winter over. Some Cactus such as your Prickly Pear can take colder weather. You can also do a Google search for wintering your kinds of cacti. If you don't mind cleanup in the spring and if leaves drop in your area of Cali you can fit plastic bags over your cactus and fill up with leaves. Otherwise you can use straw. Good luck :)
Don't let the plastic touch the plants, I did that once and everything the plastic touched was affected. I use old sheets over my plants with pretty good success to extend the growing season a little up here in the cold where the growing season is shorter.
See if any of these help. Putting the styrofoam cups on them is kind of clever!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=protect+cactus+from+frost
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/should-protect-cactus-frost-97384.html
https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-best-way-to-protect-plants-from-frost.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/protect-plants-in-freeze.htm
https://sgplants.com/blogs/news/18284355-frost-warning-frost-protection-for-succulents
https://dengarden.com/gardening/Protecting-Plants-from-Spring-Frosts
I hope these links help you with what you wish to achieve. There is great information listed. Good luck to you!
I live in AZ where it does freeze & we get frost, the temps drop 40 degrees from day to night here in the valley(Phoenix),with snow & freezing temps in higher elevations. The cacti will be fine they can also take the snow. Only a hard ground freeze is not good. Never use plastic to cover any plants it's worse than the frost itself. The aloe I see is the only type plant that needs protection along with any succulents. Lightweight bed sheets work well but need to be removed right before sun comes out, also if you have 5 gal. bucket,trash can or such you can put that over them as long as it doesn't touch the plant.
Cacti are native to North and South America ranging from Canada to the southern tip of Chile, mostly where the climate is dry and/or the ground is free-draining. Therefore, some of the cacti you have may be completely hardy. Most of the California cost is zones 9 and 10 meaning your lowest low temperatures will be in the 20s. Some upland areas might have zone 8 lows down to 10ºF. There are only two ways to know if a particular cactus is hardy. Find out what species it is so you can look up its hardiness, or leave it out unprotected over winter.
If you are not willing to sacrifice some of your cacti then covering them is the alternative. Plastic is not a great insulator against cold. I would use the non-woven fabric made for covering plants: https://www.amazon.com/Frost-Blanket-Plant-Winter-Protection/dp/B005LH1BHS/ref=sr_1_21_sspa/142-4814845-3186004?ie=UTF8&qid=1540488831&sr=8-21-spons&keywords=frost+protection+blanket&psc=1 Use some of your rocks to hold down the edges of the cover, or buy the 6" staples. There are also support hoops, though the fabric is not heavy.