By Sharon Omahen
University of Georgia
Covering outdoor plants with blankets and plastic to protect
them
from the cold may make you feel better, but chances are it won’t
keep them cozy.
University of Georgia horticulturist Orville Lindstrom says
although it’s been done for years, giving your outdoor plants a
blanket won’t keep them warm unless you find a way to anchor
it.
Not warm-blooded
“Even if the covering stays on, a blanket on a plant isn’t
going to
create heat as it does on a person,” Lindstrom said. “We’re warm-
blooded, and we create heat. Plants aren’t. The only heat
available
under the blanket would be coming from the soil.”
Even if covering did work, Lindstrom says the wind usually
works
against your efforts by blowing your hard work away. Plus, using
a
blanket to cover your plants can also result in broken limbs.
“The added weight of the blanket can put pressure on the
limbs and
cause them to break,” he said. “You have to weigh the risks. If
you
put up a large enough structure that will block the wind, it
would
help. But then you’ve all but built a mini-greenhouse.”
Other ways to help
If you really want to help your outdoor plants prepare for the
cold, Lindstrom says the time to help is actually in the spring
and
summer.
“If you take good care of your plants in the warm months by
keeping
them insect-free, giving them ample water and fertilizing them,”
he
said, “you’re helping build a hardier plant.”
Because outdoor plants are out in the elements 24 hours a
day, they
adapt to temperature changes.
“When winter arrives, it’s not a shock to them because they
have
gradually prepared for it,” Lindstrom said. “Temperatures would
have to drop below 20 degrees to damage the stem tissue of
landscape plants. And I haven’t seen that happen in the
South.”
Baby the special ones
If you want to “baby” your plants, save the special treatment
for
prized possessions such as a banana tree, he said. If it’s a one-
of-a-kind plant and you really don’t want to lose it, build a
makeshift shelter for it.
Lindstrom says container plants are the ones that need
the “babying
treatment.”
“Container plants are especially susceptible to cold
temperatures,”
he said. “Their roots are more exposed to the cold because they
are
above ground.”
You can protect your container plants several ways. Place them
inside your home, garage, greenhouse or shed. You can also push
container plants together and mulch or cover the sides of the
containers to decrease heat loss.
Plants growing close to the ground usually benefit from the
heat
radiating from the soil, he said. “Tall, more open plants don’t
receive as much heat and are not as protected from the cold,”
Lindstrom said.
Time will tell
You won’t truly know whether your protective efforts were
successful until warmer weather arrives. Plants with cold-damaged
roots may not show signs of injury until temperatures rise and
the
plant’s demand for water from the roots is greater, Lindstrom
said.
The overall key to making sure your landscape plants survive
each
winter is planting the right variety from the start.
“Don’t just buy a cultivar of azalea or other woody ornamental
you’ve heard about or one you think would do well in your
landscape” he said. “Do a little research and make sure the plant
you’re buying is suited to your area. Then you can save your
blankets for keeping your family warm.”
