Temps are dropping…should I worry about my plants?

A horticulturist tells you the truth about freezing temps and landscaping

Since the publication of our article about how to protect your landscaping during a Houston Freeze Warning, we have been fielding a lot of questions from homeowners on our Facebook Live and via email too about what temperatures they need to be watching for to get ahead of the curve in plant protection.

And today with some temps in the high 30s forecasted for the Houston, Sugar Land and Missouri City areas, many clients are worried.

Garden Guy, Todd Farber is Sugar Land’s Aggie Horticulturist with more than 30 years of experience, designing and installing creative landscapes with plants that thrive in Texas. He always listens to clients’ needs and utilizes plants that withstand the heat and become more beautiful with time. Folks love him! Don’t take my word for it, check out more than 200 Nextdoor Recommendations here

The truth about freezing temps and landscaping

🔑 Key Takeaways with Garden Guy
The vascular system of a plant will be fine as long as the temperature is 28° degrees and above
Cover your plants and landscaping at 32°F and below
Tropicals are the exception to this rule! Cover them at 50° as a precaution
Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air.
Temps must sustain themselves at 28° degrees or below for several hours to cause damage to most landscaping

🌿 original post about how to protect plants 🌿🌿Get a consult here

Temps to Cover Plants?

Cover your plants and landscaping at 32°F and below. “Real problems for the vascular systems of plants start at 28° and below for more than 5 hours, warns Todd. “
Tropicals are the exception to this rule! Cover them at 50° as a precaution. Most tropical plants are in danger if the temperature is below 50 degrees. Almost all tropical plants die once the temperature hits 32 degrees.
Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air.
Remove covers during the day when the temperatures rise above 32° degrees so that the soil can warm up again.

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