While people know not to plant during winter, spring can be a different story. One day it’s hot and sunny, and two days later it’s snowing. This abrupt change of temperature can be quite challenging for farmers who rely on plants for income or food. Not only does frost ruin leaves and fruits, but it can also freeze roots completely, so they don’t send nutrients to the rest of the plant. If you have a few plants or potted flowers, you can cover them with burlap sacks or move them indoors. But what do you do when your farm is large, and there are a lot of plants?
Frost fans or wind fans are also very popular especially in Australia and New Zealand. The method works by using the warmer air from the inversion layer to create the movement of air near the flowers and fruits. This way, the flowers, fruits, and leaves won’t be damaged because cold air is moving as opposed to sticking on the plant. Most smart farms have set up frost fans to automatically start working when they sense cold temperature or frost.
Farmers prefer this method overheating and sprinklers because it is economical and efficient seeing that one fan can work or a 10-acre land.
Sprinklers are still some of the best inventions for plants, and they can provide the highest protection from frost. The idea behind this method is that water will keep the frost from sticking or freezing on the leaves and taking the plants warmth away. However, you have to run the sprinklers for the entire time that the frost is happening. This method while very effective requires a farm that has a lot of water.
For people with small gardens, a 100watts bulb will be sufficient to provide warmth for your plants so they won’t freeze. However, if you have a bigger farm, you will need to go big with the heat source. Ideally, heat guns and gas-powered heaters are what you should choose. Introducing heaters into farms started in the early 1900s, and its only challenge is that fuel is very expensive. In order to keep the snow from forming on your plants, you need up to 60 heaters per acre to keep the entire place very warm.
Just like wind machines, a helicopter uses the warm air from the inversion layer and blows it up. A helicopter is only used by very rich farmers who only plant rare and expensive plants that will be worth the investment. It’s also a dangerous method because a helicopter should not be flying aimlessly in the dark.
Fogs while all the other methods have in existence for centuries, fogs and foams are fairly new methods.a special forging system is supposed to produce a thick fog layer that will protect the plants from radiation at night. Similarly, soy oil-based foams should be applied 2 to 4 inches thick before a frost hits. These two methods are still being experimented and perfected to hopefully give a more efficient solution to frost.
There is a lot that goes into protecting plants from frost and other harmful agents like insects and floods. If possible, a farmer should have one or a combination of these smart methods on standby and an alert for when snow strikes your area so you can always be prepared.…