Your annuals are still blooming beautifully, but frost is in the forecast. Do you let nature take its course or try to keep those flowers going a little longer?

If your petunias, begonias, impatiens, coleus, or other tender annuals are still thriving, a little preparation may help them make it through a light frost and enjoy a few more days—or even weeks—of mild fall weather.

Before a frost:

🛡️ Protect favorite plants: Cover tender annuals before temperatures drop in the evening. Use frost cloth, sheets, or other lightweight coverings that extend to the ground to help trap warmth around the plants. Remove the covering the next morning as temperatures rise.

🪴 Move containers: Bring potted annuals into a garage, porch, or other protected location overnight when possible.

✂️ Save favorites: If there’s a plant you particularly want to preserve, some annuals can be brought indoors or propagated from cuttings before freezing temperatures arrive.

After a frost:

🔎 Check the damage before pulling plants: A light frost may damage flowers and foliage without killing the entire plant. If milder weather is ahead, some annuals may continue growing and blooming.

🌱 Remove plants that are finished: Once frost or freezing temperatures have killed an annual, remove the dead plant and roots to make way for next season.

👀 Watch for disease: Diseased plant material should be removed from the garden and handled appropriately rather than left behind where pathogens may overwinter.

Eventually, frost and freezing temperatures will bring the season to an end for tender annuals. But when just one or two cold nights interrupt an otherwise mild stretch of fall weather, a little protection may help you enjoy those flowers a bit longer. 🌼

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