As of right now, NOAA (our preferred source for weather forecasts) shows cold weather starting Sunday night (1/14) through Wednesday morning (1/17), with temperatures dipping below freezing Monday and Tuesday nights. That means we’re busy preparing to protect plants here at Gill’s! We want you to be prepared too – here’s how.
1. Water all plants well. It sounds counterintuitive, but watering will help keep the ground temperature warmer by filling tiny air pockets in the soil.
2. Cover cold-sensitive/tropical plants (like Dracenas, Ti plants, Crown of Thorns, Schefflera, Ixora) and tender new plants. Cold-tolerant plants that were recently planted in the ground (like trees, Boxwoods, Hawthorns, etc.) do not need to be covered, just watered well.
- Gather supplies now, but wait until Sunday afternoon/evening to cover your plants. Keep your eye on the weather – it could change!
- We have pre-cut frost blankets and frost protection cloth that can be cut to your desired shape, or you can use quilts, bedsheets, towels, etc.
- Make a tent to capture ground warmth. Wrapping plants like a lollipop will not be effective. Make your tent and use whatever you have to weigh down the edges, like anchor pins, bricks, firewood, garden hoses, rocks, etc. Remember – the most important thing is to capture ground warmth. The ground temperature will remain warmer than the air. Watch Wyatt’s demo video below!
- Consider cutting back tall shrubs. If you have taller shrubs like Esperanza that would be difficult or impossible to cover, consider cutting it back to a few feet tall so you can cover it.
3. Bring in potted plants. Since potted plants don’t have the advantage of retaining ground warmth, they are more susceptible to cold temps. Bring them into the house or garage if you can. If they are too big or heavy, water them well, lay them over on the ground, and cover the whole plant (pot and all) with the tent method.
We can’t cover all of the information about freeze protection here, but you can give us a call or stop by if you have questions. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram where we’ll continue to post how-to’s and updates.
Click to Watch – How to Cover Plants for the Freeze!
Lisa says
I have a lemon tree that has a ton of blooms and even tiny fruit on it. It’s still a small tree. I will definitely water well. Should I try to cover it? Also, if I lose the blooms and fruit, is there any hope that it will bloom again this year?
Jesse Jenkins says
Hi Lisa – yes, water well, and you should definitely try to cover it if you can. Use bamboo poles or t-posts to help make a tent over it to capture as much ground warmth as possible.
Tara says
Hi Gill’s.
It’s bone dry out and my beds need water now.
Is it too soon to water or should I wait until the day before the cold snap to do so? I already watered the back beds because they were so dry. I do have about 3” of mulch on front/back beds.
Also your post says to “cover pots to the ground” am I correct in assuming that the pots should *also* be laid horizontally on the ground?
What if I’ve pruned the plants back hard – do I then still need to lay the pots on the ground?
Jesse Jenkins says
Hi Tara – good questions. You can go ahead and water deeply now if you need to, then do supplemental watering on Sunday. The mulch is good insulation too – that’s great. If you can cover the whole pot without laying it over, that’s fine. Just make sure you’re covering all the way to the ground to try to capture ground warmth.