Last year was our first winter here and we lost a number of fruit trees and natives to frost. So as the evening temperatures have been dropping I have been trying to protect all the frost sensitive trees. I'd just like to ask if anyone has tried my methods - and could tell me if they are effective. Small trees I have enclosed in a waxed fruit carton with the bottom opened out, and well secured in place with stakes. Larger trees (up to 1.8 m.) I have enclosed in a sort of booth made up of hessian wrapped around a frame of stakes. (Taller trees, such as our pawpaws, are on their own, although they are in a position that frost only reaches when it is quite heavy, i.e. up the hill from the house.) In all cases I have left the tops of the enclosures open. I have arranged the covers so that the trees should not get sun on them until later in the morning when the frost will have gone. I should have mentioned at the start that the frosts we get are usually light, and even through winter we get days up to 25 degrees or warmer. Cheers Peter
I am going to use a product recommended to me called "Envy".... its meant to protect against frost, wind, sunburn and transplant shock. I paid $34- in the garden/hardware shop and it's currently advertised for $29- at Green Harvest. I haven't used it yet... we are 1-2 weeks off getting our first frost and will be keen to see how it goes on the local rainforest species i have planted. I cant really recommend it as i havent used it myself yet.... a few ppl in my area have said they have used and says it works.... Good luck... Dave PS. I will post how it goes when we do get our first frost.... i will be spraying some trees this week with it.
Are you wrapping them with the hessian and that's all? People here stuff the area between the hessian and the tree with dry straw, dry leaves, etc, and close the top. Sue
