"Baby, it's cold outside"... protect your plants
San Antonio enjoyed a mild winter last year with month after month of sunny days, high blue skies, and lovely weather. Not so this year. Like the rest of the country, we are experiencing cold weather with freezing temperatures on some nights. Gardeners should keep an eye on weather forecasts and be prepared for a freeze. Help your plants survive freezing temperatures with these simple steps:
~ Remember to water if your plants need it. Move delicate potted plants indoors, especially tropical plants. If you are unsure if they should be moved indoors, then move them indoors anyway.
~ Give your plants a fresh blanket of mulch. Together with moist soil, mulch helps protect roots.
~ Cover flowering plants such as azaleas, camellias, and fruit trees with sheets or blankets. Anchor the covers with bricks, rocks, or other heavy objects.
~ You can use nursery pots or cardboard boxes to create minigreenhouses for small plants.
~ If freezing rain is forecast, cover plants with sheets and blankets, then cover with a heavy plastic and anchor with bricks and stones.
After the freeze ~ Do not wash frost or ice off plants the morning after a freeze. Doing so will raise the temperature too quickly and will likely damage the plant's cell tissues.
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