Protect the plants: Sask. could see frosty night

In Saskatchewan, it’s not easy to predict when frost will make a return and based on the forecast it could be a gamble for some gardeners Wednesday night.

Environment Canada is expecting the temperature to dip to -2 C in Regina.

“With some delicate plants out there, if temperatures do get below zero for a couple hours it could cause damage,” Meteorologist John Paul Cragg said.

He said the chances of the frost being around long enough to cause damage would be slim.

Tim Van Duyvendyk, owner of Dutch Growers, said he always plans for it to be a bit colder than what is in the forecast.

Van Duyvendyk said the best thing people can do is get frost blankets, or set their irrigation systems to spray the plants every hour during the coldest parts of the night.

“As the water starts to freeze it actually gives off heat,” Van Duyvendyk said. “If you can put a fresh layer of water for two to six o’clock, even 7 a.m. then you’ll really protect your plants.”

He said frost can crack the leaves of the plants and can leave the plants frost damaged.

Van Duyvendyk said he was warning people to wait until after the May long weekend to begin planting.

“You just never know in Saskatchewan when the temperature is going to drop below zero.”

Warm weather weekend

Cragg said after Wednesday night, the risk for frost will decrease drastically with no signs of frost for the next few weeks.

He said there might be some scattered showers but temperatures should be near the low 20s over the course of the weekend.

“It’s going to feel a lot different.”