The cooler months are rolling in, and while it can be one of the most exciting times of the year, your plants must are at risk when it comes to cooler temperatures! Frost is a major killer of plants. Frost occurs when the temperature reaches freezing. All plants freeze at different temperatures, so it is important to consider what plants you buy depending on what climate you live in and know what you can do to maintain the health of your plants.
Here are some ways you can prevent frost from harming your plants during the colder seasons.
Cover your plants at dusk with a blanket and or a sheet. These clothes will act as an insulation and will keep your plants warm overnight and reduce the chance of them freezing.
Removing the covers as soon as the sun rises is just as important as covering them up at night! If the sun gets too hot – your plants can become too hot and die. Be sure to uncover your plants!
To protect those plants that can be moved, such as potted plants, be sure to take them inside at dusk so they don’t have to be exposed to the cold temperatures and bring them out during the day so they are receiving enough sunlight.
While you try your best to protect your plants, the inevitable can happen. Parts of your plants can begin to die if they aren’t sustainable during cooler weather. However, in order to maintain the health of your plants, you must assess the damage and remove anything that can kill your plant. Be sure to remove anything that is dead on a plant so it can continue to grow.
Watering the soil before a freeze can help the plant maintain heat in the soil during a freeze. Be sure to only water the soil and nothing above it because when the plant becomes cold, the soil will radiate heat to the plant. Watering the soil can help the lower parts of the plant, such as the roots, survive the frost even if the leaves and branches do not.
While it is important to maintain the health of the plants you have, you should also assess which plants to grow if your home is susceptible to freezing temperatures. Some plants produce hormones that create heat resistance, and others cannot. Be sure to consider cold hardy plants such as banana plants, ferns, elephant’s ear and blue palms.
Protecting your plants during the cold season is easy, you just have to take the right precautions! Be sure to cover the plants that you can, remove the covers at dawn, and bring in the plants that can be moved. Further, think twice before buying plants that cannot sustain cooler weather if you live in a place that reaches freezing temperatures. Lastly, be sure to water your plants sufficiently in the soil rather than the plants and remove dead parts of the plant so that it can continue to thrive. Happy plants equal happy landscapers.
