Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just because we’ve had warm sunny spells and it’s not even the end of August. When it comes to frost, we’re not out of the woods yet. There might be blossoms on almonds, buds on plums and new leaves on mulberries, but that doesn’t mean icy blasts of winter are entirely behind us.
Frost dates for the year are important markers on the gardening calendar. Credit: Getty Images Depending on where you garden, frost might still be headed your way. Final frost dates have always varied widely across Australia and, while climate change has brought less frosty weather to some parts of southern Australia, it is stretching the frost window for others.
Some frosts, it seems, are coming both earlier and later. Being a localised phenomenon, it’s hard to make blanket statements, but while Sydney’s last frost for the year has likely already happened – early August is usually as late as frost gets there – outer areas of Melbourne run the chance of frost until early September. Hobart can be frosty even further into September and all rural areas might get later frost still.
Whatever your situation, the first and last likely frost dates of the year are important markers on the gardening calendar. They can influence what you do as much as any other aspect of your local climate. Anyone hankering to get a head start with zinnias, zucchinis and other hot-weather fare should bear the risk of frost in mind.
Loading The silver glint of morning ice crystals might look very luminous, but they have a dark side. Frost, which usually strikes on still, clear nights when the atmosphere is very dry, can be especially tough on young seedlings. First, the crystals form all over the leaves and stems, then the frost causes a plant’s insides to freeze.
As these internal ice crystals expand, delicate plant tissue starts ripping apart. The extent of the damage will depend on how quickly the temperature drops to zero and how long the freezing conditions last. Damage across the garden will also vary because not all plants respond to frost in the same way.
Some trees and shrubs sail through it. Even the vegetable patch can derive benefits..
