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• December 2011

Gardeners can lose their cool when things get chilly

Posted Dec 24, 2009 by Kim Franke-Folstad

Updated Dec 24, 2009 at 03:43 PM

I promised myself last winter that I wouldn’t go through this ever again: running around in the dark; covering plants when it’s cold and windy; moving dozens of pots indoors or, at least, into the lanai; and losing sleep over which of my pretties would make it through a frost or freeze.

“The ‘right plant-right place’ mantra doesn’t just apply to sun and soil,” I told myself then. “It also means you should give up on growing vulnerable tropicals in frost- and freeze-prone Tampa.”

Uh, yeah. That was then, this is reality. And I can’t do it. I love tropical plants too much.

So a week ago — yes, already — I was back at it. Worrying, whining and waiting.

It didn’t get as cold as they said it would. Still … how do you know? So I packed all the potted plants I could get onto the table on the lanai and under a sheet for protection. And I covered the houseplants (yes, that’s what they are everywhere else) on the front porch and hoped for the best.

Then I spent some time Monday reading — again — about the dos and don’ts of preparing plants for cold.

Here’s what I found:

One expert says throw sheets over everything. Others say don’t do it at all unless you can do it right — and that means you can’t let the material touch the plant. At all. Who, I must ask, has the time or wherewithal to pitch a tent over every vulnerable bit of greenery in the garden? Not I. And yet, some advisers even go so far as to suggest putting a light bulb in there for warmth. (For the record, I will not be going with them.)

Then there’s the question about watering. Some say water in the morning before a freeze, because the soil will absorb more solar radiation and will reradiate heat during the night. Others say do as the commercial growers do, and run your sprinklers all night to protect landscape plants. Most experts advise against either plan, particularly the latter. The chances are slim that your sprinklers have the same flow as a professional irrigation system. A layer of ice is not what protects the plant; unless it continuously freezes, causing the subsequent release of heat, the water likely will hurt more than it helps. And, you know, there’s that whole water shortage thing.

Something I hadn’t picked up on, despite all my years as a Florida gardener, is that the cold damage will be much worse if the temperature suddenly plummets. Many plants really can build up a tolerance for cold if given half a chance. So maybe this recent little scare wasn’t so bad.

It is smart, though, to move your potted plants indoors, or into a more protected spot. If the pots are too heavy, consider grouping them together and build up some mulch around them to help keep them warm. I have two very strong men at home to help me drag everything in, but if you don’t, keep your heaviest pots next to a fence or shed or by the house for added protection. If there’s no way you’re going to move them, consider carefully laying taller plants on their sides (before the wind does it for you).

Then carefully lie on your side, inside — under a blanket and perhaps with a glass of something to keep you warm — and hope for the best.