It’s that time- freezing temps will be here before you know it and we made a few freeze prep tips for you. If you are new to Austin, get ready for some crazy “winter” weather. You will find it is easiest to just have everything ready to go in regard to covering up for the nights that are going to freeze or fall below freezing temps.
What do I mean by covers? Frost cloth if you have it, sheets, blankets, towels, basically anything to cover your plants. There are marketed items such as the Planket that are made for individual pots/ containers that you can use as well. Bottom line it all depends on how cold it is going to get. I always say if you like it, protect it. We just never know what the temperatures will really do, so safest to err on side of caution. You might have lighter pots that you can simply move inside or put in the garage if you have one. But the main thing is to make a plan. Plan what will come in, and what will need to be covered, and have things ready to go.
A tip is to put bamboo stakes or sticks in pots, containers, and even your landscape bed if you are trying to protect something more fragile. This way the covers don’t weigh down on the more sensitive /fragile plants. In the photo below you can see the bamboo stakes on either side of the Kalanchoe. When we go to cover this it will keep the covers from weighing too heavily on the leaves so that we don’t break them.
Another thing to think about is if you have some blooming perennials and you aren’t quite ready to let them go. You can cover those as well to save and extend the bloom time.
Mulch
To mulch or not to mulch. That is the question. Mulching is great especially for those tender perennials that you want to give an added layer of protection to. When applying it make sure to pull back from the base of the plant. You do not want mulch touching the plant- the plant can’t breathe, and it also retains water which can lead to other problems. So, mulch the more tender items like a Salvia Skyscraper for example. Another tip is to mulch the younger plants that don’t have large root systems to give them more protection.
Cutting back….
Everyone wants to cut back the plants once they have gone through a freeze and don’t look pretty anymore or they have dropped their leaves. Refrain as much as you can. Lantana for example might have lost all their leaves and are sticks. Those sticks are insulating the roots. If you go chop them down to the ground that is giving the cold temps more direct access to the roots, so refrain if you can. If not, maybe just cut and leave 8-12″ of sticks. Another reason I say this is depending on the winter, they might come back from the existing stalks.
Watering in before a freeze.
This is another great tip. It is a good idea to water in shrubs, trees and perennials before a freeze. You do not want them to go through freezing temperatures dry as a bone so give them some water beforehand. This does not apply to your succulents, agaves and cacti. Leave those dry- drier the better. Obviously if it is raining this cannot be helped but do not water them, only your trees, shrubs and perennials.
Hope this helps- feel free to ask for more direct questions.
