Season Starter, Wall O Water, and Kozy Coats Plant Protector Instructions

There are 4 simple steps to maximizing the benefits of the Plant Protectors:

Step 1:

• Two months before the last normal frost date for your area, set up the Plant Protector where you will be planting.
• Use an empty 5-gallon bucket as a frame to set up the empty Plant Protector, and then simply fill the tubes with water.
• Only fill each tube two-thirds full. Then remove the bucket, and the Plant Protector will form a cone shape
• Let the Plant Protector stand in the cone shape for 1 week to warm the soil beneath it before planting. It is extremely important to warm the soil to avoid stunting the growth of the plant. It is equally important to keep the Plant Protector in a cone shape to prevent loss of heat out the open top.

Step 2:

• After allowing the Plant Protector to warm the soil, transplant a small (2–4") seedling. Bigger is not better; larger plants will become leggy and will not produce as much fruit.
• After transplanting, leave the Plant Protector in the cone configuration as long as possible. Once you open it all the way, heat will escape—and your plant wants the heat, so it’s best to keep it closed.
• Don’t expect a lot of top growth initially. The roots will develop first to provide a solid foundation for the plant.

Step 3:

• After a while, your plant will grow and start pushing the Plant Protector open at the top. At this time, finish filling each tube with water. The plant itself will now trap the heat inside.
• At no time do you need to worry about overheating. When the outside temperatures get too hot, the Plant Protector will help cool the plant.

Step 4:

• After the tubes have been filled with water, you may leave the Plant Protector on the plant until November or your harvest is complete. Then remove it and store it until next spring.
• Cold-sensitive vine crops desire temperatures around 90°F at all times. As most places in the United States don’t have this warmth all year round, leaving the Kozy-Coats on until late fall will help provide extra heat.
• Most importantly, during those scorching summer afternoons when it is too hot for plants to set fruit, the Plant Protector will help keep plants cool—ultimately creating a more plentiful crop and healthier plants.

Some gardeners “trench” their plants—they transplant a very large seedling and bury much of it. Do not do this. Buy smaller seedlings; they will grow better. “Trenching” may have some merit when planting later in the season, but if part of a plant is buried 2 months before the last frost, the buried portion will be outside the primary heating zone of your Plant Protector.

Also, gardeners may be concerned that it is too cold at night if you plant 2 months before the last frost—but cold is good. You want it to freeze, as that is what makes the Plant Protector work. When the water in the Plant Protector freezes at night, it gives off 1.8 million calories of heat—half of which stays inside and keeps the plant warm.

Be prepared for your largest plants ever. Use a heavy-duty cage, or buy the fencing used for concrete walls, which has 7"–8" openings and is very sturdy.