How to Protect Zucchini from Frost

Having a stash of homegrown zucchini you’ve blanched to keep in the freezer or canned and pickled to store in the cellar is wonderful.

But when the plants themselves are frozen in your garden, that’s the – ahem – polar opposite.

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It’s awful to have viable plants suffer frost damage or even die while they’re still producing and before you’re ready for the season to be over.

The reasons zucchini bushes or vines suffer frost or freeze damage can range from your own poor planning to a fluke in the weather to a calculated risk you took that didn’t work out.

But don’t be discouraged! Happily, there are a few strategies you can use to protect these summer squash if wintry weather looms.

There are also steps you can take to avoid zucchini frost damage altogether, including some that you undertake before sowing, and others that have a positive impact if they’re enacted later in the season.

Want to keep your zukes from getting too chilly? Follow along as I cover these topics:

Zucchini, Cucurbita pepo, is prolific, fast-growing, and inexpensive to plant. It also yields one of the tastiest, most filling, and most versatile vegetables on the planet.

With that said, zucchini are not ideal candidates for gardeners who wish to use artificial measures to extend the season too far into the cool-weather months.

For one thing, they grow quite slowly after temperatures dip to 60°F or so. You can’t expect a bonanza of fruits after the onset of consistently chilly weather.

Also, most varieties depend on pollinators to yield those lovely green, yellow, or flecked squash. If you