01/11/2024
Important information before this wave of frigid weather!
Next week the temperatures are predicted to be at or below 0° in much of Tennessee. I live in Clarksburg Tennessee hardiness zone 7.
The arctic blast of 2022 still has many gardeners in the middle south reeling after drastic winter damage, plant loss and replanting. However the good news is temperatures have been cooler this winter than December 2022 was and we will stair step down over the next few days with night time lows. This is all working together to help plants prepare themselves for what is to come. This cold event is “normal” and very different from what we experienced just before Christmas December 2022. However, there are still a few things that you can do proactively to prepare your garden for incoming winter weather. Depending on where you live, what hardiness zone you live in and how low the temperatures drop in your area, your preparation may vary.
-Ceramic and Terra-cotta pottery should be emptied and stored out of weather to prevent freezing and cracking
-Well waterer plants handle freezing temperatures better than dry plants. If you have not had rain recently, make sure to water plants in pots as well as newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials before temps drop.
-Plants grown in pots year round that are marginally hardy should be moved to protected areas. For example I grow ‘Arp’ rosemary (which is normally winter hardy when grown in the ground in zone 7) in a plastic pot but when temperatures drop 15° or lower I set it in my garage and then back out once the temperature warms above 15°.
-Trees, shrubs and perennials that you have in pots that have not made their way into your landscape can benefit from extra protection. In general plants in pots should be considered one zone less winter hardy in a pot then it would be planted in the ground. For example, Loropetalum is a zone 7 plant. In a pot should be looked at as if it was a zone 8 and for sure needs to come inside with temp drops below zone 8 temps which is 10 to 20°F. With temperature possibly getting little below zero in Tennessee I would even protect zone 6 plants while zone 3, 4, 5 should be fine left outside unprotected. Again, this is all dependent on where you live and how cold your temperatures are predicted to get.
- If you can bring those questionable plants in a garage, shed or similar structure then bring them back out when temperature come back up to mid-teens or above. Plants are best NOT brought inside your home where temperatures are warm and if so should only be brought in for a VERY short time. The warm temperatures can cause them to break dormancy and when you do put them back out can more susceptible to cold temperatures.
-If you do not have a storage area, plants in containers can be grouped together and insulated with mulch, leaves or wheat straw all around the pots to provide some level of protection.
-Remember covering plants with plastic, sheet, tarps etc. does little to no good protecting them especially if it touches the plants.
-If using hoops and row covers, make sure to REMOVE them at risk of ice or snow breaking them down and harvest what you can.
-Check heat source and ventilation for home greenhouses BEFORE the coldness arrives.
I hope these tips help you prepare and remember, spring it’s just around the corner!
