This year South Florida has experienced colder than usual temperatures and we have received a lot of questions regarding “winterizing” plants. Here are a few tips to help your plants handle the cooler temperatures.
Keep your plants healthy all year by staying on a good fertilization schedule. The healthier your plants are to begin with the hardier they will be. Discontinue use of fast-release fertilizers between the months of October-March. You don’t want to encourage new growth that can be easily damaged in very cold weather.
A good 24-48 hours before you expect temperatures below 45°F, water your plants thoroughly. This will help to insulate their tissues.
If you have very delicate plants you fear will perish or get severely damaged- you may cover them with a cloth sheet provided there is not an excess of wind. Putting a cloth cover on a plant in very windy conditions may protect it from the temperature, but it will result in major mechanical damage from the sheets beating against the leaves. The sheets must be removed promptly the next morning- the moment the sun begins to rise.
We DO NOT advise insulating your planting beds with hay- it may help temporarily in the cold but you will have so many weeds once the warmer temperatures return that you will want to start the bed over just to eliminate the weeds.
If you have plants you would like to save in containers, bring them into a garage or tuck them in a corner close to your house. Portable plants can easily be saved if they are of a manageable weight.
If you do have plants that get hit hard by cold, don’t be quick to assume they are dead. A lot of plants can recover come spring. They will just need to be trimmed and fertilized and they should flush with fresh growth. Unfortunately with some of the more delicate winter annuals like impatiens and begonias, if you see the leaves have “melted” (the cells in their leaves freeze and pop easily making them appear as though they have melted) they will probably not recover. I know a lot of South Florida gardeners get disheartened to see your babies get damaged in the unusual cold- but enjoy that we still have a lot more green than our neighbors to the north do and look forward to a beautiful spring!
PLANTS: Earth’s architecture, nature’s fresh breath, devine miracle. To the Abell family plants are more than just a way to earn a living, they are a vital part of the ecosystem and a way of living.Plants are the lifeblood of the Earth.
Our Quality Keeps Us Growing
Every winter thousands of people flock to South Florida to be enlightened by our blue skies, green grass, the sway of palm trees and masses of blooms. We believe that when you begin coloring on nature’s blank palette, you should use the highest quality of components. Plants are more than leaves on stems; they are texture, color and balance. Growing plants is an art that requires not only knowledge and skill, but passion with a genuine love and respect for the science.
