How to Prevent Plants From Freezing in Central Florida
Although palm trees and tropical blossoms are an integral part of Central Florida gardens and landscapes, protecting these plants from cold damage in winter can present a challenge for gardeners. Tropical landscape plants--which can be injured by temperatures that dip under 50 degrees--are most at risk, but subtropical and even temperate plants can also be harmed by the frosts and freezing conditions that occur annually in Central Florida. If the temperature drops under 28 degrees for a prolonged length of time, there is not much you can do to protect the plants. But in the case of frosts and sudden, brief freezes, there are actions you can take to prevent or minimize the damage. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Mulch
- Electric fan
- Burlap or bubble wrap
- Cloth sheets or quilts
- Wooden frames (optional)
- Glass jars, paper cups, plastic milk jugs with the bottom cut out
Instructions
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Mulch heavily around perennial plants to protect them from heat loss. Since perennials die back in winter anyway, it is only necessary to protect the roots.
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Set an electric fan near the plants to provide the breeze that will prevent frost from forming on them. Be sure to protect the fan and electrical connections from exposure to water.
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Move container plants close together near a fence, wall or other windbreak, if it is not possible to move them inside, and wrap the containers in burlap or bubble wrap. Cover the foliage with cloth sheets.
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Use glass jars, milk jugs with the bottoms removed, or upside-down paper cups to protect small plants from the cold. Remove them in the morning so the plants get sunlight and air.
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Use coverings to protect larger plants from the cold. This technique is more effective for frost than extreme cold. Coverings should extend to the ground, and--because there can be damage resulting from heat transfer from foliage to cover--should contact plant foliage as little as possible. Use a frame, if possible. Otherwise, carerfully place the cover directly on the plant to slow the loss of heat. Avoid using plastic or vinyl; cloth sheets or quilts are better choices. Remove the covers in the morning once the frost has thawed.
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Water your garden well before it gets dark on nights that a freeze is predicted. Moist soil absorbs more solar radiation than dry, and will release it during the night. In addition, the water freezing on the plant will give off some heat.
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Protect plants from freezing by sprinkling them with water, which helps keep the leaf temperatures near 32 degrees by utilizing the heat released when water changes from liquid to solid. According to the University of Florida Extension website, sprinkling must begin as soon as the freezing temps are reached, and continued until the thawing is completed. Apply water evenly, in amounts that will maintain a film of liquid on the leaf surfaces.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant a combination of tender and cold-hardy plants to avoid the chances that a prolonged freeze will decimate your entire garden.
To avoid stimulating new growth that will be susceptible to cold injury, don't prune your plants in late summer or early fall, and don't fertilize them later than December.
References
- Photo Credit Palm tree image by Elena kolesnikova from Fotolia.com
