- did you know?
- Cooperative Extension offices are found in almost all of the more than 3,000 counties throughout the nation. Read more...
Have a question? Try asking one of our Experts
How is "hard freeze" defined?
A hard freeze is when most annual plants, and the tops of some perennial flowers in an area, are frozen. A killing frost, which kills annuals and often occurs earlier than a hard freeze, isn't generally as severe. Previous light freezes may damage/kill the tenderest annuals and perhaps parts of other hardier annuals, but often not all of the plant. Annuals can include flowers, vegetables, and herbs.
The classification of freeze temperatures is usually based on their effect on plants, with the following commonly accepted categories:
Light freeze:
- 29 degrees F to 32 degrees F
- Tender plants killed, with little destructive effect on other vegetation
Moderate freeze:
- 25 degrees F to 28 degrees F
- Widely destructive effect on most vegetation, with heavy damage to fruit blossoms and tender and semihardy plants
Severe freeze:
- 24 degrees F and colder
Have a specific question? Try asking one of our Experts
Unlike most other resources on the web, we have experts from Universities around the country ready to answer your questions.
Did you find this page useful?
This resource area was created by the: community
Find an Extension Office
Enter your zipcode to find your local Extension office:
Resource Area Feeds
In This Resource Area
- Trees and Shrubs
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Lawns
- Indoor Plants
- Landscaping
- Garden, Lawn, and Landscape Pests
- Soils and Composting
- Master Gardener
Comments
Subscribe to this page's comments
Post a comment about this topic