With Freezing Weather On The Way, Plants Need Care, Too

Kathleen Phillips

As the first major cold snap approaches, people can take action to protect plants from total loss, horticulturists with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service said.

The first step is to understand how cold temperatures impact different plants and then take steps to alter those conditions, according to Monte Nesbitt of College Station and Robert “Skip” Richter of Houston, both AgriLife Extension horticulturists.

Nesbitt and Richter are co-authors of “Protecting Landscapes and Horticultural Crops from Frosts and Freezes,” which has detailed instructions and is downloadable for free at www.agrilifebookstore.org/.

The National Weather Service has issued a special statement indicating that freezing temperatures could reach south of San Antonio by week’s end. A hard freeze is expected in the Panhandle.

In addition to seeking local weather reports, one needs to understand the difference between frosts and freezes, they said, as well as how topography, urban microclimates and bodies of water can impact a plant’s ability to withstand temperature variations.

“Plants can get used to freezing weather if they are exposed to it consistently and gradually,” Nesbitt explained. “But in Texas, intermittent warm periods can make it hard for plants to adjust and therefore be more vulnerable to frost or freeze damage.”

Arrange outdoor plants together in a location so they can be covered prior to a freeze

A sudden, steep plunge in temperatures such as the forecasters are calling for this week could bring about a freeze that includes winds, cold air masses, clouds and precipitation over a period of days as it moves across the state, the horticulturists said.

“For plants, that means damage from the low temperatures as well as from the wind from the stalk to the top,” Richter said. “When the water inside plant cells freezes, ice crystals form that can pierce and damage the cell walls, killing the cells. As temperatures rise, fluids leak out of those cells, and they begin to decay.”

After outdoor plants have been gathered together, cover with a tarp or other opaque material and secure at the bottom to protect from freeze. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Bill Watson)

A frost, by contrast, happens when the sky is clear and there isn’t much wind, he said. The amount of radiation given to the plant by the sun is lost gradually during the night to the freezing point just before sunrise. Frosts can be severely damaging as well but normally only at the top or most exposed part of the plant, he said.

Understanding what is likely for a particular area where plants are growing can help determine the type of protection offered, the horticulturists said.

Frosts are easier to protect plants from, Nesbitt said. Plants growing under tree canopies will be impacted less than those more exposed. Likewise, plants in pots can be placed under the overhang of a house for some protection.Where possible, the best protection would be from opaque covers such as sheets, blankets, cardboard boxes or trash cans, but wait until early evening so the plant can absorb as much sun radiation as possible.

“The idea is to slow the cooling of the plant,” Nesbitt said.

Freezes are not easily deflected by the methods used for a frost, Richter said.

While a cover by itself would not be adequate during a freeze, adding a heat source such as a string of outdoor lights can help, because it adds heat, he said. Plants in containers are more likely to be harmed than those in the ground because they lack the insulation that the earth provides.

“Move container plants inside the home or garage,” Richter said. “If they can’t be moved indoors, put them on a more protected side of the house. Then water them well and pile on mulch, leaves or hay and cover with a frost blanket.”

Plants that are permanently set in the landscape can receive some protection from semi-permanent structures such as polyethylene film-covered structures (hoop houses, for example), windbreaks, and mounds of soil or mulch heaped around the lower trunk, the horticulturists said.

If possible, bring container plants indoors or into a garage during freezing temperatures, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturists say. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo by Bill Watson)

Nesbitt said the process of protecting plants usually needs to be repeated throughout the winter months since Texas weather cycles between warm and cold for months.

He said to wait to prune frost- or freeze-damaged plants until the spring, because the dead foliage can provide a protective layer during the next cold spell and because pruning could prompt new, tender growth.