Arctic Blast: Part 2

     Remember in my last post I recommended waiting to clean up your freeze-damaged plants. Well, that was just in case we had another severe cold weather outbreak. Guess what is coming to Mississippi early next week: Arctic blast part 2.

     If you cleaned up your damaged plants, let us hope that you did not get into any undamaged wood. If you did, you might get additional damage and have to cut your plants further back. And this is not good for your plants.

     One thing you need to do before the cold air gets here is to check the moisture around your outdoor plants especially if you have any in containers.  The low humidity has dried things out a lot in spite of how cold it has been.

     You can bring your water hose indoors to limber it up before watering your plants.  Give them a good soaking.  This will give them added freeze protection.

     Now just hang on for another week of severe cold.  Long range weather projections are showing upper 60s the first week of February.

Plant Damage from Severe Cold

What a difference a week makes.  In Meridian the lowest low was 10 degrees, but there was over a 36 hour period below freezing.  As I write this, it is a sweltering 64 degrees!

I did a quick survey of my yard looking at damaged plants and am posting a few photos.  As far as to what to do about the damage, I recommend waiting at least a month before pruning it off.  The main reason for this is that winter is far from over.  If you cut off the damage and we have another arctic blast, then you might get more damage and you have to cut the plant even further back.

This is an 'evergreen' daylily.  This is Suburban Nancy Gale.

Sago palm has lost all its luster.  I will have to remove all fronds this spring.  In areas further north than Meridian the sagos were probably killed.

This is the freeze burned tip of a lime tree.  This damage actually occurred during an earlier freeze event - low 20s.  The plant in a container was covered but damage occurred where leaves touched tarp.  During this last cold event I put all my container-grown citrus indoors.

Protecting Your Plants from Freeze Damage

Tomorrow is supposed to be moderately warm.  This brief break gives you time to add some protection to you plants before the extremely cold weather floods over the state.

Most established and, especially, adapted plants, probably will not be affected by this cold spell except may be in coastal counties.  It has been cool to moderately cold in northern areas of Mississippi, so adapted plants have fairly well hardened off.  However, the minimum temperature during a freeze, when it occurs, and for how long it occurs are all factors that gauge how damaging a freeze will be. If we have a really prolonged duration of freezing conditions, this is when the most damage will be done.

Protect plants that are in containers either by placing them inside a protective structure (house, garage, greenhouse, or shed) or by placing a protective covering over them.  Container plants are especially susceptible to cold temperatures because their roots are above ground. Roots that are damaged by cold temperatures may not show immediate signs of damage, but these plants will show signs of stress when temperatures increase.

Push together container plants that are left outside and mulch or cover them to decrease heat loss from the sides of the containers. Wrap the base of the containers in plastic, burlap, or blankets to reduce heat loss.

We have not seen weather this cold in the last several years.  There have been a lot of plants established in areas marginal to their cold tolerance.  Two that I have seen are frequently planted are palms and assorted citrus trees.  There are varying degrees of cold hardiness among citrus tree with kumquats and satsumas being some of the more cold tolerant.  The temperatures that are being predicted will injure even the most cold-hardy of these without some form of protection.

The same can be said about some the palms planted along the coast.  Even the most cold tolerant of them can be injured by temperatures in the mid-teens.

Some things you can do to help all plants during this cold spell is to apply mulch to the roots to insulate them.  The mulch will also keep winter weeds under control and reduce the need to water the plants.  If the soil around your plants is dry, water thoroughly.  Remember, as water freezes it gives off heat.

For plants such as small citrus or small palm trees, you can build a frame over the plant or plants, cover with plastic, and seal plastic to the ground with soil. This plastic traps moisture and warm air as it radiates from the soil. It also knocks off the cold wind. Be careful not to allow plastic to come in contact with plants or damage will occur at the points of contact.  Put an incandescent light bulb (if you can find them) in the enclosure if temperatures in the teens are forecasted. 

If you only drape material over a plant to protect it, make sure the cover comes all the way to the ground.  Blankets or tarps are better than plastic, but anything is better than nothing.  Again, foliage in direct contact with the cover might be damaged but the plant will be saved.

If the plants are too large to build frames, place Christmas tree lights (not the LED type) in citrus trees or around the trunk of palm trees.   You could also used water pipe heating tape to wrap trunks.  If you can protect and save the trunk of citrus trees, they will grow back.  Palm trees are more difficult to protect since their growing point is in the tip of the tree.

Another option for citrus tree is to spray them with water during the freeze period.  Especially coat the scaffold branches with this freezing water.  An ice-coated citrus tree is a sight to behold!   You will probably lose a year of production but you will not have to replace the tree.

After the freezing event it is best not to do anything for a few weeks.  Allow enough time for a freeze damage to show up in the plants.  You might even wait to new growth starts in the spring.  This is early January so there is a lot of time left this winter for more freezes. Typically our coldest time of the year has not arrived yet. 

New Year’s Resolutions for the Gardener

        The beginning of the New Year is not the time to reflect on the past year, but to make resolutions for changes in your gardening practices.  Here are a few of my suggestions of gardening resolutions for this coming year that may give you ideas for your own.

·       I resolve, when ordering seeds this winter, to only order what I can plant, and take care of during the season.

·       When sowing vegetables in the garden, I will make successive plantings every 2-3 weeks so everything does not mature at once.  Just because there are 30 seeds in that package of squash or cucumbers does not mean you have to plant them all at the same time. 

·       I will build and maintain a good compost pile. No leaf of mine or my neighbors will go to waste.

·       I will make it a priority to get the perennial beds cleaned and mulched early this spring so the weeds will not get a head of me this year.

·       MORE sunscreen will be applied on sunny days.  It is never too late to start.

·       I will take better care of myself.  My body does not function like it used to function.  I will begin a stretching and weight lifting program this winter to get prepared for the spring.  I will probably need to stretch and loosen muscles before gardening, to drink plenty of water, and to take breaks (especially when hot).   I always used to think that gardening was exercise.  Never thought I would need to exercise so I could garden!

·       I will label my perennial plants better.  I am going to use more metal labels.  I think the squirrels and chipmunks (or maybe my grandkids) carry off those plastic stakes.

·       For the birds, I resolve to keep bird baths cleaned and filled regularly.  I will help my grandsons build some bird feeders.

·       I will plant the plants that I have been keeping in pots in case I moved.  A few have already ‘planted’ themselves since they have been there so long. 

·       I resolve to work in the garden in the mornings and early evenings and avoid the mid-day heat.

·       And lastly, when tired of gardening, I will take a break.  The most important resolution is to take time to smell the roses, to savor the vegetables, sip the wine and to just enjoy the beauty of your efforts.