The Difference Between A Light And A Hard Freeze

My buddy, Heather, from Massachusetts mentioned the other day that it was getting cold in her neck of the woods.  Her tomatoes are still mass producing, so she will be putting up her hoop house up at night time starting this week.

Hoop houses are the perfect protection for a light freeze–especially for delicate plants that really like the warm weather, like tomatoes.  And, in case you’ve ever wondered what the difference between a light freeze and a hard freeze is, I thought I would kind of break it down, because I am cool like that.

A light freeze is sometimes referred to as a frost.  A frost happens when temperatures dip down and there is moisture in the air.  Frosts can definitely damage sensitive leaves, but, unlike a freeze, temperatures do not need to get below 32 degrees {frosts can happen in temperatures as high as 40 degrees, if there is enough moisture in the air}.

A light freeze or frost can also occur when temperatures dip down below 32 degrees, but do not say there for days and days on end.  Daytime temperatures continue to be mild/warm.  Lots of plants can survive a light frost/freeze, so long as you cover them and prevent moisture from building up on their leaves while the temperatures are cold.

A hard freeze is a different ball game.  It is the beginning of the end for standard gardening.  A hard freeze is when temperatures dip below 28-30 degrees and stays there for several days.  The daytime temperatures also typically do not rise high enough to make up for the night time dip.  A hard freeze is a death sentence for warm weather plants.  If there is a hard freeze warning, it’s best to harvest what you can from your plants–even a hoop house won’t protect them for long on a hard frost.

So, when the weather man predicts a light frost/freeze, make sure to run out and cover your plants.  When a hard freeze is predicted, harvest what you can.  If you’re not sure when the average frost/freeze happens in your area, I totally recommend getting a Farmer’s Almanac.  It will not only give you average dates, but tell you HOW to predict a frost/freeze.  It’s a  pretty handy little reference.

~Mavis

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