Seasonal Tips
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.
What flowers will bloom all winter and can tolerate the cold?
What flowers will bloom all winter and can tolerate the cold? Here’s a short list:
- Pansies
- Supertunias
- Petunia
- Verbena
- Superbena
- Snapdragen
- Snowprincess
- Hybrid Tea Roses
- Drift Roses & Knockout Roses
Supertunias
The Supertunias should bloom until around July. You can replant them as early as October. The Verbena and Superbena will grow all year round and bloom. They may have to be cut back if they get to leggy. The Snowprincess will grow and bloom year round but does not like to dry out. Be sure to give it enough water. To have Snapdragons bloom all winter you need to plant them early in the fall. They need to be established early before the days shorten to blossom all winter. Roses actually like the cooler weather better than the hot summer. The biggest mistake I see with Roses is that they are planted in the shade – they like full sun. Be sure to cut back your roses February 14th each year and give them a good feeding. Roses should be fed monthly from February through Fall.
Your more formal flowers that bloom in the cooler weather are Camellia both Japonica and Sasanqua, and Shi-Shi Camellia.
Read MoreMaintaining Your Lawn Through Winter
When the temperatures drop to freezing your St. Augustine grass will become brown. This is normal as you grass goes into a dormant state. When the weather warms the soil the roots will begin to grow again and the grass will turn green again.
How do you know if your grass has died from the freezing temperatures? Take a piece of grass with the roots and plant it in a container and set it on your window ceil giving it the appropriate amount of water. If it grows and turns green it is fine. If not, then the dead area should be cleaned out and replaced.
Remember that a lush thick stand of grass will choke out weeds. If your yard had bald areas, it is important to fill them with either sod or plugs early spring before the weeds awaken below the soil.
Read More
