frost and wind protection

Hi, I'm in the middle of level 4 horticulture, and one of our assignments is to describe how to protect plants from frost and wind, now while i have been doing this in practice for years, i am useless at putting things down, can any one help?

For starter how do you do it? Get it typed down any way you can, then I can help you polish it up if you want. Also protecting plants from frost and wind covers a very large area.
It ranges from protecting tomato plants over night that you put out too early to how to get perennials that are marginal for the zone you are growing them in through the winter. Wind protection is everything from how to keep the hot dry winds of the southwest from drying your garden out, how to protect a tree in a hurricane to protecting evergreens over winter.

Doug9345 is right, there are many reason for plant protection, (animal, insects, cold, rain, wind, salty spray at ocean, to frost and ground freeze) I would make a list on left side of page of all type of protection required by situations, and on right side, list all types of materials to use for each job, like Mulch for frost freeze on top of soil, keep off the stems branches ect so rot cant get set at thaw time, this side of page is a quick reminder of different ways / materials so that as you begin to write/ draft out, you have not forgotten anything. It is a really nice thing Doug has offered to help or guide you as to how to lay it all out so maybe once you get the draft laid out, you could email it to him for comment, advice or correction.
Good luck, you can do it, all you seem to lack is confidence in your own capabilities and with someone like Doug helping, you will gain experience as to how to lay it all out.
All you can do is your best, Let us know how you get on once you pass, note the word PASS.
WeeNel.

In my garden, zone 5 mountainous, I have done two things to protect vegetables. First for a long tomato bed, I planted it along a south wall of an RV shed full sun. Then I erected a 2 foot high wind barrier using plastic, see-thru varigated roofing just south of the bed to deflect wind.

Frost protection for tomato plants involves using 5 gallon pails with the bottom cut out, and set over the new transplant. White pails reflect better light, and then a 1 gallon jug of water with a lid set behind the plant inside the pail. The jug warms thru the day, and gives off heat at night. These protect to about 26 degrees, if it appears it will be colder then I clothes pin row cover or more over the buckets. Even after the tomatoes have grown above the rim of the bucket the wind break and water jug seem to provide frost protection without row cover if I miss a predicted frost.

These are much easier to use than wall-o-waters, which not only cave when being filled but grow slime, they are more effective in my cool night climate

I don't count well, that is 3 things.

This message was edited Jan 2, 2013 2:04 PM

Just managed to get back on line, thank you all for your help and suggestions, cheers Doug for offering to help and nancy for the tips and weenel, I'm glad you'r so sure i'm going to pass! but i will post the results good or bad!!

there are different protections required in different situtaions.... one thaing that you need is self confidence