Cover outdoor plants from frost with lightweight, breathable materials that trap ground heat but don’t crush foliage or stay wet and icy against the leaves.

What to cover plants with

Use these safe, effective materials as your go‑to frost covers.

  • Cotton bed sheets and pillowcases
  • Light blankets or throws (not super heavy)
  • Commercial frost cloth/frost fleece/row cover fabric
  • Burlap for shrubs and small trees
  • Cardboard boxes, overturned buckets or bins for small plants
  • Cloches (store‑bought or DIY from cut plastic jugs) over individual plants

Always let the cover reach all the way to the ground and secure it with bricks, stones, or pegs so it traps warmth radiating up from the soil.

What NOT to use directly on plants

Some materials can damage plants if used the wrong way.

  • Bare plastic film touching foliage (it gets icy and can “burn” leaves)
  • Very heavy blankets that can crush stems
  • Non‑breathable tarps wrapped tightly around plants without air space

If you only have plastic, keep it raised on a frame, stakes, or hoops so it never touches the leaves, and ideally use a fabric layer under it.

Simple night‑before‑frost routine

Think of a chilly‑night drill: water, mulch, move, cover.

  1. Water the soil in late afternoon if it is dry – moist soil holds more heat than dry soil.
  2. Add mulch (straw, leaves, wood chips, compost) around the base of tender perennials or young plants to insulate roots.
  3. Move pots and containers next to the house, under a porch roof, or into a garage/shed if possible.
  4. Before sunset, cover tender plants with sheets, blankets, or frost cloth, making sure the cover reaches the ground and is anchored.
  5. The next morning, once temperatures rise and frost has melted, remove or vent the covers so plants don’t overheat in the sun.

Extra tips and examples

  • For a row of lettuces in a bed, lay hoops or flexible PVC over the row and drape frost cloth or a sheet across, clipping it to the hoops so it forms a low tunnel.
  • For a small shrub, wrap a cylinder of burlap or frost fleece around stakes, then mulch thickly at the base.
  • For seedlings or a single tomato plant, cut the bottom off a clear plastic jug and place it over the plant at night, removing the cap during the day for ventilation.

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