Reid Lewis, horticulturist with Temple College says that hydration is one of the best defenses against a hard frost.
“Moisture keeps the cells intact even if it freezes. In a dehydrated plant the cell walls will actually collapse and crack, killing the plant,” he said.
Casey Young, golf course superintendent with Wildflower Country Club, spent the last few days watering the grounds in preparation for tonight’s expected below freezing weather. Young said that “a Blue Norther blowing cold, dry air sucks the moisture out of the ground, leaving your plants susceptible to damage.”
A coating of ice or snow actually protects the vegetation from further damage, insulating it from the air above. “Anything under the ice will stay at a constant 32 degrees even if the air temperature drops below 32,” Young said.
A Blue, or Texas, Norther is a swift-moving cold frontal passage in the southern Great Plains, marked by a dark, blue-black sky with strong wintery winds from the northwest or north, and temperatures that may drop 20 degrees to 30 in a few minutes, according to weather.com.
Lewis said that orchards in California will spray the trees with water in hopes that an ice will form and insulate the crop during a hard freeze.
He offered other tips for keeping plants safe during these cold snaps:
Cover roots with 3-4” of organic mulch, such as shredded hardwood or newsprint. “Mulch naturally warms the soil and conserves moisture. It also creates heat as it decomposes.”
Plastic sheeting is OK to cover trees, but only if you use a bed sheet between the vegetation and the plastic. Plastic in direct contact with the leaves can burn them, further damaging your flora.
While commercial covering material is available, Lewis recommends that it’s a good time to support your local Goodwill with inexpensive purchases of used sheets, blankets or quilts. “These items are readily available and can be thrown in the garage to be used when needed.”
Lewis doesn’t recommend using Cyprus mulch to cover roots because it is not environmentally friendly. “Cyprus trees in the South, some hundreds of years old, are being decimated to be ground up and sprinkled as mulch around other plantings. It doesn’t make sense.”
If you would like to learn more about natural landscaping and gardening in general, Lewis teaches an eight-week long continuing education course called Naturscape at Temple College. The next class begins Feb. 26 and runs until April 15. For more information, call Temple College Business and Community Education office at (254) 298-8616 or 298-8625.
sgaulin@temple-telegram.com
