How to save seedlings from late frosts

As we wrote in the calendar of gardeners and gardeners for May, it is this month in the middle lane that the active planting of seeds of vegetables and ready-made seedlings, previously grown at home, in open ground begins. However, frosts often occur even at the end of May, so you need to be prepared for such troubles..

How to prevent the death of seedlings due to a sharp cold snap:

1. Do not rush to plant seedlings, even if it is already mid-May, but the weather is not yet pleasing with persistent warmth. This will be the mistake of a gardener who does not follow the forecasts of weather forecasters. It is better to wait a little, but in the end get a rich harvest, albeit a little later than usual;

2. A greenhouse is the best option, the most reliable protection against frost. During the day, the film can be lifted, the plants can be hardened, which will be comfortable at temperatures above + 10 ° C, but the greenhouse can be closed at night, protecting the plants from a drop in temperature;
3. If there is no greenhouse, use an agropanel, film to cover the seedlings overnight. It is convenient to do this if the plants are carefully planted in the beds, you can cover all the tomatoes or peppers at once with one cloth. Low seedlings, for example, cucumbers, can be covered simply on the ground, but over tall tomato seedlings, it is better to stretch the film on pegs, metal arcs so as not to break. And do not forget to press down the covering material at the edges, for example, with ordinary bricks or stones, so as not to be blown away by the wind;

4. Instead of agricultural canvas, summer residents sometimes use caps from old newspapers and cardboard to cover seedlings. And old plastic bottles can be used not only for drip irrigation. When cut, they will become an excellent protection for plants, a mini-greenhouse;
5. Watering is very important. In dry soil, seedlings are more likely to suffer when temperatures drop. Therefore, if the weather forecast promises a cold snap, be sure to water your beds in the evening! In this case, you need to try to water the seedlings so that the water remains on the leaves, use a special spray nozzle on a hose or watering can. When the temperature starts to drop, the evaporation of the water will protect the plants;

6. The method of smoking was popular in the past, now most often the seedlings are simply covered. But you can try to set fire to straw, tops, fallen leaves, small brushwood next to the beds in severe frosts. The main thing is that the fuel does not burn quickly, but smolders, creating a heat curtain of smoke. To do this, straw or other fuel can be sprayed with water to create more smoke. Smoke helps more to protect not seedlings, but fruit trees, because the smoke rises up, it is more difficult to direct it to the beds. And in strong winds, this method is ineffective;

7. Hilling with earth and mulching can only protect small plants, for example, freshly sprouted potatoes;
8. Feeding the seedlings with potassium and phosphorus will help resist the effects of frosts down to -5 ° C. Top dressing helps young plants to increase the concentration of cell sap, raise the level of accumulation of sugars, reduce the content of free water, and therefore protect themselves from frost. True, fertilizers must be applied at least 10, and preferably 24 hours before the cold snap, otherwise this method will not help.

If the methods of protection proposed by us did not help, and the seedlings still suffered, do not despair. Most likely, she can still be helped. For example, using biostimulants, the domestic drug “Epin” has shown itself well, which should treat all parts of the seedlings, including leaves on both sides, to help the plant recover.

You should also remove the affected leaves, because with a high degree of probability the roots remain healthy, the seedlings have a chance to recover. Affected plants need to be watered abundantly, do not forget!

In extreme cases, if it was not possible to save the seedlings, you can plant a new one, because summer is just beginning and there are many warm days ahead for its growth.