Get Ready to Cover!
By Kathy Robinson from Robby's Nursery and Calico Gardens
As I look over the long term weather forecast I'm getting a little worried. Our Dec has been unseasonably warm. This sets us up for a Killer Frost. The last one was 7-8 years ago, on that Dec 20th we went from 60 degrees to the low 20's. This kind of temperature drop will damage even hardy plants.
That being said there are some tricks to dealing with cold weather. These things that can help your plants are as follows:
Make sure the root zone is damp. Going into frigid weather, if the plant is wet, it will freeze and stay at 32 degrees. If the plant is dry it could go down to the lowest temperatures we reached. Many topical plants will then be damaged or even killed below 32 degrees. This same principal is why you see Citrus Farmers running the sprinklers during these frosts. On these years the farmer will lose the fruit crop, but save the trees.
Another protective measure is spraying your frost tender plants with an anti-transpirant. These products reduce moisture loss when plants are under stress. They give moderate protection to frost tender plants and should be sprayed on well before frost hits. Now is an ideal time to spray, the "Wilt Stop". It comes RTU or in a concentrate and is used once a Season.
In your yard the best protection is to cover your frost tender plants with frost cloth. This is a woven product that covers the plant and can be left on for several days. It is very light weight and lets sunlight thru to the plant. At Robby's we sell the frost cloth in packages (10X12) and also by the running foot for bigger plants. We actually cover all our succulents with Frost Cloth every night. We have a great supply on hand now. It's something you need before the frost hits, so you’re ready, and we do sell out.
Old Fashion Christmas Lights that give off some heat can help warm your plants and under the frost cloth can give even more protection. Move potted plants under the patio or a large tree to give them extra protection.
All these tricks can help you save your Special Plants! Check with your local Nurseries to ID plants that need protection and those that don't. There is no sense in covering hardy varieties. That would be a waste of time and money!
By Kathy Robinson from Robby's Nursery and Calico Gardens
As I look over the long term weather forecast I'm getting a little worried. Our Dec has been unseasonably warm. This sets us up for a Killer Frost. The last one was 7-8 years ago, on that Dec 20th we went from 60 degrees to the low 20's. This kind of temperature drop will damage even hardy plants.
That being said there are some tricks to dealing with cold weather. These things that can help your plants are as follows:
Make sure the root zone is damp. Going into frigid weather, if the plant is wet, it will freeze and stay at 32 degrees. If the plant is dry it could go down to the lowest temperatures we reached. Many topical plants will then be damaged or even killed below 32 degrees. This same principal is why you see Citrus Farmers running the sprinklers during these frosts. On these years the farmer will lose the fruit crop, but save the trees.
Another protective measure is spraying your frost tender plants with an anti-transpirant. These products reduce moisture loss when plants are under stress. They give moderate protection to frost tender plants and should be sprayed on well before frost hits. Now is an ideal time to spray, the "Wilt Stop". It comes RTU or in a concentrate and is used once a Season.
In your yard the best protection is to cover your frost tender plants with frost cloth. This is a woven product that covers the plant and can be left on for several days. It is very light weight and lets sunlight thru to the plant. At Robby's we sell the frost cloth in packages (10X12) and also by the running foot for bigger plants. We actually cover all our succulents with Frost Cloth every night. We have a great supply on hand now. It's something you need before the frost hits, so you’re ready, and we do sell out.
Old Fashion Christmas Lights that give off some heat can help warm your plants and under the frost cloth can give even more protection. Move potted plants under the patio or a large tree to give them extra protection.
All these tricks can help you save your Special Plants! Check with your local Nurseries to ID plants that need protection and those that don't. There is no sense in covering hardy varieties. That would be a waste of time and money!
