Now is the Time,
Kerby's is the Place

January 6, 2014   

Get ready to protect your plants, there are cold nights ahead.

Here comes the cold! While we won't have the bitter cold that some of the country is experiencing, tonight and Tuesday night, the temperatures are  expected be at or below freezing, with very low wind-chills and a potential for frost. Check out the NOAA forecast for Seffner (it is usually quite accurate), and make sure you have all of the materials for covering sensitive plants. As of writing this newsletter (Monday morning, 1/6/14), Kerby's has frost blankets in stock - 12' x 10' for $16.99 as well as anchor pins for securely fastening the blankets over your plants. Check out our tips for protecting plants below, and click here for a list of plants that need protection and ones that don't. Stay warm and enjoy this little taste of winter.

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In This Issue
 

Protecting Plants from Winter Frost

2014 Event Schedule

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Protecting Plants from Winter Frost
 
  All that hard work. The sweat, the backaches . . . don't let it go to waste by not preparing for the winter. Make sure you are stocked up on all of the essentials for protecting your plants, like frost blankets and anchor pins.  Follow these easy tips to make sure your garden comes into spring looking even better than before.

Protection - When frost or freeze approaches, the best thing you can do is be prepared to cover your plants. Make sure that you have frost blankets and anchoring pins on hand so that you don't have to make a last minute trip to Kerby's for supplies and have a plan for covering up your most sensitive plants. Make sure that you cover plants all the way to the ground, resting the blanket lightly on the plant and then anchoring the blanket to the ground with the anchor pins. Not attaching the blanket allows cold winds to creep under easily and either blow the blanket off, or push out the warm trapped air that is protecting the plant.

Water Well - The day before cold comes in, make sure you give your plants a good soaking. A lack of water when cold, dry winds are blowing can cause double the damage to your plants. Water plants at the roots only. Water on the leaves doesn't help and can cause more damage for landscape plants.

Stop Fertilizing - By now, you should have done your fall fertilization on all of your plants. At this point, you want to hold off on any general feeding until springtime. Too much fertilizer right now may encourage growth spurts during warmer days, and this new growth is extremely sensitive to cold, no matter how hardy the plant.

Avoid Some Pruning - On sensitive shrubs, you'll want to avoid pruning unless absolutely necessary. Pruning stimulates growth which can lead to weaker plants.  A plant that is a little taller or wider than you want can be a good thing, as it will provide a little extra insulation. The winter is a great time to prune roses, crape myrtles, evergreens, and any deciduous trees.

Double Protection - If you're a fruit nut and have exotic tropical fruit trees, consider doubling the protection by using multiple layers of frost blankets. For covering trees, have a few stakes on hand to prop the blankets up so they aren't pulling the leaves and branches down.

These are a few tips you can use to protect your garden this winter. The best protection is being prepared for whatever mother nature throws our way.  

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