December 15 , 2016
Plants Freezing in Their Tracks? Tips on Warm & Comfy.
Lehmusvirta Road is adorable in winter . Yeah , it ’s got my last name , but it ’s in Finland , not East Austin . In Central Texas , we just get weirdo weather . In one brief unromantic wintry escapade , we suffer tomato and basil . The next twenty-four hours : we ’re back to short and flip flops bemoan the mush .
So , do we really need to run around and cover our plants ? If you have tropicals like hibiscus , bougainvillea and Hawaiian Ti plants ( Cordyline minalis ) , bring them at heart or into a service department or greenhouse . I’m not one to haul plants in and out in Texas uncanny weather condition . Who ask that kind of stress , especially the plants ? Container plants , like sambac jasmine , are more susceptible to wrong , so regain their comfortable pip and leave ’em be . Daphne explain why . And running around covering plants in the garden is no longer on my to - do list . But , if you have a young citrus tree , it ’s good to protect with mulch and a tepee . I made this one several year ago with bamboo stake and floating row cover . Now that my citrus plant are bigger , I do n’t disoblige , but they are in warm microclimates near the house . Here’sCTG ’s listing of most - hardy citrus .
‘ Orange Frost ’ and ‘ Arctic Frost ’ are two very cold - sturdy Satsumas . Tips for plant protection• Mulch fresh planted perennial like lantana , Esperanza and plumbago.• If you wrap a flora , drop anchor it all around , including at the bottom with rocks or pegs.• Do n’t use plastic ON a plant . If covering with a shaping container , withdraw it when the Lord’s Day come out.• If you ca n’t fetch tender container in spite of appearance , get together together near the house and cover.• Water plants if ground is ironic , but try out to fend off watering leaves.• rose wine do n’t need protective covering in Central Texas .
Get Daphne ’s tips on how to shroud works .
Established aboriginal and altered plants do not need protective cover . If you ’re covering too many plant , it may be metre to reassess your plants !
Some succulents ca n’t handle crack dusty weather . MyAgave celsiisuffered major equipment casualty when we arrive at below 20 ° for several days , but mobilise . I lost immature ones that really hard year when Central Texans even lost matureAgave americanas . But that ’s not usual !
Jeff Pavlat from theAustin Cactus and Succulent Society compiled this gravid listof succulent frigid temp ranges . Good nurseries now list cold hardiness on plants , but container and untested plants may still need protection in hard prolonged halt . That is not in our forecast this winter!Most winter veggie crop can handle the cold-blooded just fine without aegis . In La Grange , nuptials tulle fend off insects in the Bernsen ’s menage garden . Watch now !
But since we never know what ’s coming , floating row cover keep thing informal for lettuce and other crops that can get snip off in carry frost . Get John Dromgoole ’s tip for install row natural covering .
Jay Carpenter protect his wicking bedswith plastic over his Quonset hut frames .
Our biggest challenge in Central Texas : what to wear tomorrow ?
Thanks for lay off by ! Linda
tag :
