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Preparing for a Freeze – Dos and Don’t in Northeast Florida
A Hard Freeze is described as a 5 hour period of time with the temperatures below freezing. While this is certainly not unheard of in Jacksonville, it does catch many by surprise and often raises the question of what to do to protect precious plants.
What should you do if a Hard Freeze or Freezing temperatures are forecast? The first thing I would suggest is in the afternoon turn on your irrigation and water your landscape. Why? The drying process of the wet ground and roots of your plants produce heat which keeps your plants a little warmer.
You only need to cover your tropical plants – Bougainville, Birds of Paradise, Hibiscus, Queen Palms, Robeline Palms and other palms not native to northeast Florida, and Ginger Plants just to name a few. If you choose to cover your plants DO NOT COVER THEM WITH PLASTIC BAGS. Cover your plants with either frost cloth which can be purchased at your hardware store, a nursery, Lowes or Home Depot Garden area. If you don’t have frost cloth, use sheets. When you cover the plant it is best to use stakes to keep the cloth from touching the plant and also the cloth should come completely down to the ground. You can use Landscape Cloth staples or large nails to hold the cloth down so that the plants is completely covered. Simply put the landscape staples or large nail (8” to 10”) through the cloth and into the ground so that the material is secure. You want to keep the cold air from blowing in under your covers. IMPORTANT – remove the covers the next day. Do not leave them on your plants for days or weeks.
If you want, you can also put a rope of miniature Christmas lights around a plant before covering it. With the plant covered and the lights on and the plant covered the environment will be nice and cozy.
Of course, if you are using lights make sure they are the miniature outdoor lights and that there are no frayed cords or wires. Safety is important.
Lawn and Ornamental Pest Control
Julia’s Digs is happy to announce the partnership with Doug Smith aka “Doug the Bug Man”. This partnership allows our clients to have the best of the best. We can now offer the total package of Pest control for your home and lawn. Doug has been in the pest control business since 1965 and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to help us keep your lawn and shrubs in pristine condition and your home pest-free. Call today for a free consultation 904-338-1757 or fill out our website contact form. We will respond within 24 – 48 hours for a consultation.
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