Home Gardening

Coast gardeners battle cold temperatures
The Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - January 5, 2002

With blustery north winds and frigid temperatures, winter has definitely paid the Coast a visit. Who would have thought a few weeks ago that we would have snow and sleet in the forecast for New Year's day? Even though the long range weather forecast by the National Weather Service calls for warmer than normal temperatures, temperatures are well below normal right now.

Certainly, current conditions are not good for plant growth, but in some ways it is nice to see these freezing temperatures. I know many tropical plants and citrus trees will suffer, but temperatures in the lower to middle twenties will help kill disease organisms and problem insects. We live in plant hardiness zone 8b; therefore, minimal temperatures around the twenty degree mark can be expected at times.

What can gardeners do during these cold and dreary days of winter? I recommend sitting by the fire and browsing through your favorite seed catalogues. Plan ahead and decide your spring plantings now. Remember to select appropriate varieties of fruit and nut trees that are recommended for South Mississippi as well as vegetables that are resistant to the many disease organisms that frequently attack your gardens.

An earlier column explained the many details of winterizing your plants, but a few timely reminders can't hurt. The ground is finally cold enough to allow plants to enter into full dormancy. A heavy mulching will help protect the roots of your plants from the cold temperatures. Two inches of shredded bark or four inches of pine straw is sufficient. Prolonged periods of cold temperatures can freeze the ground and damage roots. In addition, cold soil will cause roots to sluggishly uptake water and other nutrients. Mulch helps insulate the soil and regulate the temperature for proper nutrient uptake.

Container plants need special protection. These plant roots are not protected against freezing temperatures. Tropical plants and other containerized plants sensitive to cold temperatures should have already been acclimated to sheltered conditions in anticipation of winter weather. Bring them into warmer rooms for the duration of this cold snap. A garage, storage building, or your house should minimize cold damage. Be sure to water your plants. Even though it's cold, plants must have sufficient water. Moist soil is better insulated against the cold. Cold damage occurs most often because plants dry out.

I must address the issue of pruning cold damaged plants. As I've said before, pruning is the most overused and least understood landscape practice. It is important to note that cold damage may not be fully evident until the spring. Plant tissue may continue to die for several weeks after the initial damage is done. Wait until the spring to prune any plants that are damaged.

Hopefully, no nitrogen fertilizers were added to lawns after September that would encourage new growth. This can lead to green grass too far into the season. Lawns that haven't entered dormancy may be damaged, but only the above ground grass blades will be affected. Roots and stolons will remain alive a healthy. The most critical time for winter damage is during the spring when a cold spell follows a period of warm weather. Turf that is in this transition state from dormancy to actively growing can be damaged quite a bit. These freezing temperatures should put a temporary halt to disease and insect pressure, too.

Take advantage of these winter days to plan ahead for a great growing season when temperatures warm later this year.

These archived gardening columns were written by Chance McDavid, former Harrison County Extension Agent.