In my zone 5 microclimate, where the last frost is usually mid to late June, I do something rather shocking: I transplant tomatoes around Mother’s Day and they survive weeks of frost in my garden. No ice cream pan.
I avoid the “spring shuffle” that comes with the unpredictable weather from March to May. You know, where unseasonably warm “false spring” days trick you into thinking it’s safe to transplant tomatoes outside, but then freeze warnings send you back into the garden at night, scrambling to protect new seedlings with upturned buckets or blankets.
And just when you think you’re in the clear, it happens again… and you’re reminded why you had to wait to plant.
But you can absolutely protect tomatoes from frost without ice sheets, buckets, blankets, carts, or any other last-minute scavenging item to throw over your plants. All you need is a simple plastic sleeve called a tomato teepee.
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How tomato teepees work for frost protection
I’ve been using tomato plants since I moved to Central Oregon in 2017 and realized that if I wanted a decent tomato harvest before fall, I needed to get my tomato plants started early. This was difficult enough without a greenhouse, and then I was growing tomatoes in pots so my options were limited.
I could cover them with upside down 5 gallon buckets, but that wasn’t ideal because I had to remove the buckets in the morning and cover my plants again in the evening. I didn’t have an easy way to hang sheets over my plants, and they were too high for bundles and other repurposed items.
Then I discovered cherry tomatoes (which are not trellised, despite the name). Sometimes you’ll hear them called by their brand names, like Wall o’ Water (the original teepee-style planter) or Kozy Coat.
They have many imitators online of questionable quality, so the ones I personally use are listed below. My oldest set is several years old!
Easy frost protection
Tomato chips
The water-filled tubes trap heat during the day and release it at night to protect tomatoes and other sensitive plants from frost.
A tomato teepee (or water teepee) is a reusable cone-shaped plastic sleeve with tubes forming the wall. You fill the tubes with water and place the teepee around your plant. The enclosure acts like a miniature passive-solar greenhouse by absorbing solar energy during the day and radiating heat into the air at night.
This allows you to plant outside several weeks earlier and protects against cold temperatures, cold winds and even critters. Because a tomato teepee is open on top, plants still get plenty of sun, airflow, and rain.
What is the lowest temperature that a cherry tree can protect from?
When used properly, a tomato teepee can protect plants in temperatures below at least 28°F, which is the lowest temperature I have tested my teepees at. However, the packaging I’ve seen claims that the tomato teepees can protect up to 22°F.
The water-filled tubes create a microclimate that keeps the air around the plant several degrees warmer so that the plant can survive a freezing night without damage. It won’t grow when it’s this cold, but it won’t die either.
How to use a tomato teepee
Some people shy away from using a tomato teepee because they think it’s too hard to fill with water, but here’s a trick I’ve learned that makes it easy: use a bucket.
Support the empty teepee around a large bucket or tub so it doesn’t topple over.
Use a hose or watering can to partially fill the pipes so they start to rise. It’s easiest to fill each tube a little at a time, going around until the tubes are about a third to half full. At this point, the walls of the teepee will naturally lean inward from all the weight and create a conical shape.
You can then grab the top of the teepee to move it. Place the teepee over your plant, spreading the bottom edge out to form a circle. Finish filling the tubes with water and you’re good to go.
Depending on your climate, you may need to fill the tubes with water every week or two. Don’t leave all the water evaporates before you are ready to remove the teepee because the water is the insulating layer that holds the heat.
Can you use a water chip in containers?
You can use water burgers around container plants if the containers are wide enough to accommodate them. I recommend a 20 gallon pot for indeterminate tomatoes with a minimum diameter of 16 inches. (I’m a fan of it these cloth potspictured below, for growing vegetables.)
Removal and storage
In general, you should remove tomato shoots when nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45°F or when the canopy of the plant begins to grow from the top.
If you let the plant get too tall, it will be difficult to remove the teepee without damaging a vine. (And really challenge to corral all those vines into a tomato cage.)
What I like to do is push most of the water out of the tubes first, then roll the sleeve down to make it easier to lift over the plant. I then pull the rubber out of the teepee as needed to get the gunk out, lay it out on a clean surface and let it air dry before stacking and storing all the teepees in a bin for next year.
Do pergolas continue before or after?
It depends. I usually set up my tomato cages after removing the teepees, and that’s what I recommend for most situations.
But when I use this stackable tomato ladderi put it on first before sliding the teepee over the ladder and planting. The tomato ladder has a narrow enough footprint to fit perfectly inside the teepee. You can see how it looks with this tomato plant I grew a 20-gallon fabric container;below.
Can you use cherry tomatoes for other plants?
Absolutely! I have used tomato teepees around other frost sensitive seedlings like peppers, squash, melons and eggplants. (And it works for ornamentals, too—basically anything you want to plant early and protect from an unexpected freeze.)
Unlike frost cloth, it’s okay if the sheets touch the sides of the sleeve when temperatures drop to freezing. As long as the plant is safely placed inside, it can survive a cold night as long as there is sun the next day to warm the water again.
Can you leave the teepee all season?
You could, but leaving your water-filled teepee out in the elements all season can shorten its lifespan since it’s just a sheet of plastic.
That’s what I said have I left a set of chips on my tomato plants for an entire summer because I was traveling for three months. I had transplanted my tomatoes early but didn’t want to risk removing the teepees before the last frost.
The teepees remained in place until after first frost, and this picture (below) shows what my garden looked like after several frosty nights in late September.
My tomatoes were very healthy and productive up to that point, but I think the dry summer and cooler nights helped keep the plants from overheating. (I live in a high desert climate, so your mileage may vary.)
The first year I tried teepees, I experimented with leaving them on my potted tomatoes for an entire summer, but folding the sleeves down as the season progressed. This worked too.
So if you’re hoping to plant early without worrying about frost, I recommend trying tomato crickets in your garden.
Easy frost protection
Tomato chips
The water-filled tubes trap heat during the day and release it at night to protect tomatoes and other sensitive plants from frost.
