KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Ahead of anticipated cold weather, one Knoxville farm is taking precautions to protect its plants.

Maryl Burke with CAC Beardsley Community Farm said plants like radishes, onions and garlic may be at risk during a freeze.

“We do have some plants like baby radishes and some other things that we have covered with the row cover, we call this Reemay, and this will protect them from frost settling on them,” Burke said.

Burke also said they drained their irrigation lines to prevent plants from dying.

“You don’t want to water a whole lot on a day that it’s going to freeze, because if the plants are full of water and super hydrated… the water inside of the plant, when that freezes that’s what kills the plant,” she explained.

Plants that grow year-round like strawberries can usually survive the cold, but the flowers on the plants may be at risk.

Burke said if anyone is worried about their plants at home, there are some things they can do to prepare.

“At home, if you don’t have a Reemay fabric, you could use a sheet, but those will exclude a lot more light and water and get really heavy with the frost, so you would want to put them on right before you go to bed, and take them off in the morning,” she said.

While it is almost time to plant spring and summer crops, Burke said it is best to wait another month or so.

“A lot of the big box stores are selling tomatoes and peppers now, but it’s too early to plant tomatoes and peppers, you should wait until late April or early May to start planting those, and that will go a long way,” she said.