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A little work before temperatures tumble could keep your plants healthy until warmer air arrives.
ATLANTA — After a deceptively warm start to January, winter is ready to hit late this week, with temperatures expected to crash as far south as Florida. Stunned iguanas will likely fall from trees in the cold and recover — but your plants may not.
That’s why it’s important to water them before temperatures reach 32 degrees.
“The watering has two benefits,” said Pam Knox, a climatologist at the University of Georgia. “It fills air holes in the soil with water, which takes longer to freeze and so protects the roots, and it warms the air above the ground. It also improves the ability of the plant to withstand the cold temperatures by keeping it from dehydrating.”
Knox, who is also the director of UGA’s Weather Network, said it is best to water your plants a day or two ahead of time, or at least several hours.
“Make sure you are watering the soil and not the plant itself,” she said. “Overwatering will not help, since once the soil is saturated, the plant will not take in more water, and it could damage the plant roots.”
Knox added that the most vulnerable plants are the ones currently growing.
Bodie Pennisi, a professor of horticulture at UGA, said plants in containers are particularly prone to damage.
“Containerized plants should be moved to protected areas where heat can be supplied or trapped,” he said. “If they can’t be moved, placing them closer together and covering with mulch will reduce heat loss from the container walls.”
Pennisi said sheets and other coverings are more effective for frost than freeze conditions, so plan accordingly.
“The most effective covers are those that extend to the ground and do not touch the canopy,” he said. “Setting holiday lights under the cover is an easy method to raise the temperature around the plant.”
With a hard freeze forecast across parts of the South, including most of Florida, the experts say now is the time to prepare. A little work before temperatures tumble could keep your plants healthy until warmer air arrives.
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