Week 11 · Practice

Tools matched to scale

Edible Landscapes

Frost protection ranges from hessian on a single citrus to overhead irrigation on commercial blocks — the physics differs, the goal is the same: keep plant tissue above damage temperature until sun returns. Home growers use cloth, mulch, and microclimate; larger sites plan water and wind machines where economics justify.

Home-scale toolkit

  1. Forecast watch

    Clear calm nights after warm days — classic radiative frost setup.

  2. Cover before dusk

    Frost cloth, old sheets — anchor so wind does not strip covers at 3am.

  3. Water soil lightly in extreme events

    Moist soil holds heat slightly longer — not a substitute for cover on tender foliage.

  4. Remove covers next morning

    Vent to prevent overheating once frost lifts.

Commercial note

Overhead sprinkler frost protection uses latent heat — specialised setup; not DIY on mains pressure without engineering advice.

Long-term

Windbreaks, raised beds, and stone walls modify microclimate more than annual panic cloth.