Plants’ Ability to Tolerate Frost

Be prepared to protect annual flowers and vegetables as temperatures drop throughout the fall and winter.

Plants vary in their ability to tolerate frost. Tender plants such as tomatoes, peppers, coleus and impatiens will not tolerate freezing temperatures. They’ll be the first plants to suffer frost damage. So be prepared to cover these plants even when a light frost is predicted.

Cool-season vegetables like broccoli, collards and Brussels sprouts as well as half-hardy and hardy annuals like ornamental kale, alyssum and pansies can tolerate a hard frost when temperatures drop to as low as 28 degrees.

Monitor the various gardens throughout your yard. Plants growing in open or low spots in the landscape are more susceptible to frost damage. Those planted near the house or under trees may be spared from some early frosts.

A bit more information: Extend your enjoyment and harvest with some frost protection. Protecting tender plants from the first few fall frosts allows them to flourish a bit longer when milder weather returns for a few weeks.