STILL BUNDLING UP AND KEEPING WARM?
Wintertime in San Antonio can still mean a lot of up and down temperatures. It can be a real chore moving plants in and out, trying to protect them from freezing temperatures, and also giving them the suns warmth during the day. But hey, we love our plants so it’s what we do right?
Here are a few tips to remember when those temperatures drop:
Know Your Plants
Really get to know what type of plants you have. Ask questions at the nursery to find out the cold hardiness of the plant you are about to purchase. Some can take more cold than others. Decide how much time you want to spend moving and covering those plants all throughout the winter. Find out if your plants will come back the following season even if they freeze.
Mulch
Your mulch from the spring and summer has probably decomposed and is ready to be replaced around your existing plants. Adding a thick new layer of mulch helps protects the root system and keeps the soil temperatures even. You can even use crushed up leaves from your shade trees if you have them. Go ahead and add some mulch to your potted plants as well.
Location
For your potted plants, it helps to move them to an area that has less exposure to weather elements. Under awnings, in doorways or alcoves, anywhere they have a bit more protection from harsh winds, side rain, etc.
Some more tender potted plants just have to be brought inside. Try to put them in a sunny spot in the garage, and when the temperatures warm up during the day, you can move them back out for awhile to soak up the sun. When you have plants that are just too big or heavy to move in and out, you have other options to protect them.
Cover Your Plants Before Sunset
Watch the news coverage for weather updates, and if freezing weather is in the future you can plan ahead. Covering your plants before sunset allows you to make use of the heat in the soil from the day. After sunset you lose that valuable heat and in turn, have less protection for your plants. Remember to uncover your plants during the day when the sunlight is out and strong, or you could run the risk of cooking your plants!
What to Cover Your Plants With
Try to remember F comes before P (like in the alphabet). Fabric before Plastic. Always put some type of fabric (blanket, bed sheets, burlap) over your potted plants before a layer of plastic. If you only use plastic you will risk damage to your plants as plastic can trap condensation and end up freezing your plant underneath. Plastic is also cold and can transfer the cold to the plant.
For those big and heavy potted plants I mentioned earlier, you can wrap Christmas lights (the incandescent type, NOT LED) around the plant and then cover with your fabric and plastic. It makes a little greenhouse for your plant. You can also wrap the pot itself in burlap or even bubble wrap for more protection.
Water Your Plants
-Seem strange to water when it is going to freeze? Maybe not. Watering your plants before nightfall will actually increase your protection against freeze damage. The soil will release moisture into the air from the watering and this will in turn, warm the air. So give those plants a good drink during the day.
If You Have Freeze Damage
Sometimes we take the precautions and a plant sustains freeze damage despite our best efforts. First, take a moment to be sad, or angry. Next don’t take it out on the plant. Do not grab your shears and pruners and cut those ugly shriveled limbs off just yet. Your plant may not be a goner, and leaving those limbs intact still provide your plant with some protection. Better to continue covering and sheltering your plant until the cold is gone, the last freeze date has past and the greener days of Spring are on their way.
So just like you wait to pack up your knit hats, gloves and scarves….keep those old blankets, and bed sheets handy for those late winter blasts.
-The Happy Gardener a.k.a. Lisa Mulroy
