Planket Frost Protection Cover: Product Review
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An easy way to cover plants quickly before frost, snow or ice arrives
Available on Amazon
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Do you have plants that you’d like to protect from frost? Maybe they’re in pots and are too heavy to move to a safer location when cold weather hits. Or perhaps there’s that one small tree or special plant in the landscape that you’d like to keep safe.
Whatever the situation, you need to protect that plant from freeze and frost damage. So you drape an old bedsheet over it, tape sheets of newspaper around it, or carefully wrap it in pieces of bubble wrap. Very attractive, right? And not always the easiest thing to do.
That’s where the Planket comes in. It’s a funny name, but the “plant blanket” makes frost protection easier and more appealing to look at than any other option I know.
So what is it?
The Planket is a round piece of green, nonwoven fabric with a cinch cord around the edge. Drape it over your plant, tighten the cord around the base or stem of the plant, and lock the cinch toggle in place. That’s all there is to it (although it takes a bit of practice to get the cinching part right). No staking, tying, or weighting the edges required.
Cinches in Place
Because the cinch cord runs around the circumference of the Planket, it’s very long. For example, the cord on the 6-foot Planket is just over 22 feet long! So you’ll have to pull a lot of cord through the channel around the edge of the Planket before it will cinch down around the plant pot or stem. And then you’ll have 10 feet or so of cord lying on the ground. After getting the cord tangled up several times (which made it very difficult to un-cinch the Planket), I ended up using a twist tie to keep the cord neatly held together while the Planket was in use although I suppose you could also wrap it around the plant.
How the Planket Works
The Planket is made of spun-bonded, nonwoven material similar to what you find in landscape fabric and row covers. It’s very lightweight and breathable yet strong and durable.
It works to prevent frost damage the same way as any other cover – by creating a pocket of air around the plant that stays warmer than the surrounding air.
Related Article: How to Protect Your Plants from Frost Damage
The main differences between the Planket and other materials you may have used are that the non-woven material holds heat in better than a woven material (like a sheet) and the cinch cord makes it much easier to secure around your plant.
A Size for Any Plant
The Planket comes in a variety of round sizes to fit most potted plants or small trees, including 6-foot diameter (for 2’x2′ plants), 8-foot diameter (for 3’x3′ plants), and 10-foot diameter (for 4’x4′ plants) Plankets. There’s also a 10’ x 20’ rectangular Planket to cover larger areas or hedges, along with plastic landscape stakes to anchor it to the ground.
Tough Fabric
Although the fabric is lightweight, it’s heavier and thicker than most other “frost blankets” I’ve seen. Don’t drape it over soft-stemmed or fragile plants without first surrounding the plant with stakes to hold up the Planket.
I found that the fabric tended to catch on thorns (such as on roses or bougainvillea) and broken stems; then again, so would a bed sheet or any other fabric. In spite of that, the Planket didn’t tear, even after surviving a wind storm while draped over a very spiny bougainvillea.
Good Shade Cover
Here in Tucson, AZ the harsh sun can quickly kill tender plants, or at least make them wilt pitifully. So when my lettuce started to wilt, I quickly covered them with a Planket. The material is light enough to attach to wire hoops (I used these support hoops from Gardener’s Supply and fastened the cloth with binder clips) to create a shade cloth tunnel. The rectangular (10′ x 20′) Planket would be best for this but you can see that the 8-foot circle works as well.
Things to Note
The fabric seems to be somewhat water resistant. Rain water tends to pool in depressions when the Planket is draped over a larger plant and, unless you have the Planket well staked to the ground, the weight of the water can easily pull the stakes out of the ground.
The plastic stakes that come with the 10′ x 20′ Planket aren’t particularly effective. It’s difficult to get them into hard or rocky soil (hitting them with a hammer just causes them to bend or break) and they don’t stay anchored in soft or sandy soil. I recommend using sturdier stakes instead, either metal landscape stakes or thick plastic tent stakes. And be sure to push them into the ground at an angle, with the point pointing inward (toward the plant).
The large Planket has plastic grommets along the edge through which to put the stakes when anchoring it to the ground. I would have preferred metal grommets; the plastic ones broke loose when I tried to pull the stakes out of the ground. They did stay put through several wind storms though so if you’re careful when removing the stakes, the grommets will likely be okay.
Recommendation
The Planket is an easy-to-use frost protection cover that fits most potted plants, shrubs, and even hedges or small trees. It’s reusable, tough and effective. Cinching the drawcord can be awkward (especially the first time). The large (10′ x 20′) Planket comes with plastic landscape stakes and grommets that could be improved; you may want to use your own stakes instead. Overall, it’s a good product that should provide frost protection to your plants for many years.
Where to Buy
The Planket is available at many national retailers and big box stores, as well as online at Amazon.
Last update on 2024-04-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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Great, unbiased review. One question about the Planket: Does it need to be removed during the day in order to provide the plant with light?
I’m glad you liked the review, Erika! I’ve used the Planket as a shade cover (mostly for lettuce which gets easily burned here in Tucson as the weather heats up) so I can report that it doesn’t cut out all light. I wouldn’t leave it over a plant for weeks on end but a few days isn’t going to hurt the plant – it’s breathable and lets some filtered light through.
I love the Plankets that I have and they have kept my plants alive and well through the short freezes we have in Houston. One question–after use and before I put them away for the winter, can the Plankets be washed and then put in the dryer?
I have the same question that Pat has. With the many cats in our neighborhood that have used the plants (and covers) as a perfect place to mark their territory, the Plankets are in need of a real wash. This is the second year I have used them with great results. Last year I draped them over a quickly installed clothes line and hosed them down. Then let them dry completely on a good sunny day.
That sounds like a good solution. I wouldn’t put the Planket in the dryer, but it should be washable in the washing machine (maybe try it on the gentle cycle).