
During the months of January and February, native and long-time Floridians bundle up in coats and jackets to keep warm when facing what we consider cold temperatures — and ignore the laughs from our northern family and friends accustomed to snowplows clearing paths after yet another blizzard.
But we’re not the only ones who need to stay warm as the thermometer reading drops. Our outdoor plants require extra care and attention to survive Central Florida’s coldest nights of the year. However, doing so isn’t quite as simple as covering shrubs and bedding plants with old sheets and towels and hoping for the best. Knowing how to protect your plants from freezing is easier — and less expensive — than replacing them!
Advice for Florida Newcomers: You DO Need to Protect Your Plants in Winter
If you were waiting for a snowplow to come to the rescue not long ago (just before deciding you’d had enough), Central Florida’s version of winter may seem mild to you. Your plants might not agree. Many shrubs, perennials, annuals and even some trees are susceptible to temperatures that are considered a light freeze (29° to 32° F) back home.
Tropical plants are especially vulnerable — which is important to keep in mind if they were already on your property when you bought your house, or you planted hibiscus, bird of paradise, etc., because you wanted a Florida look for your landscaping. This is because while South Florida has a true tropical climate, Central Florida’s climate is actually subtropical. Tropical plants thrive here as long as the temperature cooperates. Once a freeze warning is issued, they’re at high risk for damage or loss — even from one night of exposure. In fact, sudden freezing temperatures after prolonged warm weather can do more harm to your plants than long-lasting freezing weather, as they haven’t had adequate time to acclimate.
Which Plants to Cover — and How to Cover Them
Now that we’ve hopefully convinced you that being prepared for a freeze is essential to saving your plants, those that should be covered include citrus, fuchsia, bougainvillea, succulents, salvia, hibiscus, jasmine, tree ferns and penstemon. Canterbury Farms Nursery & Garden Center provides an extensive list of subtropical and tropical plants that need extra protection. Click here to read in full.
In addition, the staff of Cypress Creek Landscape Supply recommends covering any recently installed plant when a freeze is forecast — even if it’s cold-hardy — as it takes time for a plant to become well-established enough to survive a freeze.
To be ready with the right protection, buy frost cloth. This is an insulating material of woven fabric created specifically to protect plants from freeze damage. The cloths are reusable, and can last for several years. Frost cloth is available at plant nurseries and home improvement centers, as well as major online retailers.
The good people at Green Acres Nursery & Supplies provide the following instructions for correctly placing frost cloth:
- Completely drape the plant from the top all the way to the ground.
- Apply the cloth right before sundown to make sure the cloth gathers the heat produced in the ground during the day.
- Don’t leave any openings in the cloth for the warm air to escape or cold air to enter at night.
- It is crucial that the frost cloth touches the ground, to the drip line of the plant.
Placing heavy objects like bricks or securing the fabric into the ground with frost fabric staples will ensure that the cloth forms a seal with the ground and traps the warm air that radiates from the soil that is captured during the day. The bricks or staples will also secure the cloth in the case of heavy winds and/or rain, reducing the chances of it blowing away.
A quilt or blanket can be used as a last resort, but only for hardy, well-established plants that won’t be damaged by their weight. Burlap can be used, but shouldn’t touch the plants, which necessitates creating a tent-like structure with wooden stakes. This prevents wet burlap from freezing and damaging foliage, and ensures the cover doesn’t blow away in the wind.
General freeze protection measures include the following:
- Add extra mulch around sensitive plants when a freeze is forecast. This helps trap the soil’s heat.
- Water your sensitive plants early in the day before a forecasted freeze. This allows the soil to absorb warmth from the sun and warmer daytime air, thereby helping plants survive the cold. Also, cold winds are drying, taking a toll on plants that are already too dry.
- Bring potted or container plants indoors, or at least bring them closer to each other. Add mulch around the plants to trap heat at the surface if they need to stay outdoors.
What NOT to Do to Protect Your Plants
Being unprepared is the first big mistake, from which all other mistakes follow. When a cold front approaches, the panic reaction is to grab whatever old sheets, beach towels, etc., are available and cover vulnerable plants. Such items not only do nothing to protect against the cold, their weight can break branches, they are difficult to secure on the plant, and will also transmit cold to the plants if they become wet. Moreover, blankets and sheets do not allow for light penetration or airflow, and can cook the plant if they get too hot.
Worse yet is improvising with a sheet of plastic, or large plastic garbage bags. Landscaping professionals agree that plastic should never be used to cover plants because it doesn’t “breathe,” and can actually create an even colder temperature underneath. Plastic also tends to allow moisture to form on plant leaves, causing them to burn.
Moreover, you may have heard about using overhead irrigation during a freeze. According to UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, running irrigation like this works on farms where the irrigation systems are designed for this purpose. The water has to run continuously from before the freeze to several hours after temperatures rise for this method to protect plants. With home irrigation systems, you’re just wasting water. Additionally, the amount of water that home irrigation puts out can turn into heavy ice, which can damage plants.
Also, don’t fertilize cold-sensitive plants in the late fall or winter. Fertilizer application will encourage new growth, which is especially susceptible to cold injury. Newly pruned plants are more susceptible to cold damage as well, so postpone pruning until spring.
The Take-Home Message
While your Central Florida plants need protection against the freezing temperatures that occur in January and February, being proactive with proper care throughout the year will give them an extra advantage in the hardiness department. Plants tolerate cold temperatures better and recover from injury faster when they’re healthy.
Our blog posts — “How to Protect Your Plants From Freeze” — and “First Winter in Florida? We Answer Your Yard and Garden Care Questions!” — provide additional tips on winter plant care.
So even though we’re privileged to live in The Sunshine State, the plants that beautify our property require special attention this time of year. Our experienced team at Daniel’s Lawn Service & Pressure Washing Inc. knows the ins and outs of Central Florida’s climate, so your winter yard can be as beautiful as your spring and summer yard when it’s under our care! We will work with you to achieve your goals and bring your vision to life every season of the year! Our full-service company provides landscape design, tree installation, tree trimming, yard maintenance, bush hogging, pressure washing and so much more. Contact us today so we can do the work, and you can do the enjoying!