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Cold Confusion: Plants and Our Warm Winter

By Wayne Hobbs Environmental Horticulture Agent, Clay County
Posted 1/23/19

I can’t be alone in getting tired of not knowing what to expect outside each day. In the past few weeks we have seen 80-degree days and frost advisories and the tedium of having to decide whether …

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Cold Confusion: Plants and Our Warm Winter


Posted

I can’t be alone in getting tired of not knowing what to expect outside each day. In the past few weeks we have seen 80-degree days and frost advisories and the tedium of having to decide whether my kids are wearing sweaters or sandals is getting old.

If you look outside, you may notice that some of your plants are getting lost in this confusion too. Here are some tips to help them make it through this strange winter.

It Isn’t Over Yet

A few weeks ago, the first real cold snap likely killed back some of your tender plants to the ground or at least made them drop some leaves but now you are probably seeing a lot of re-growth and buds breaking again. With this pretty, young growth it might seem like a good idea to cut back the cold damage, right?

Resist the urge to take off the ugly dead foliage and stems for a bit longer.

While the winter has been warm recently, this dead material will help to protect that young, tender growth and the base of the plant in case we get a later cold snap. The average date of our last frost is usually in March and future freezes could damage unprotected growth.

Pruning can also prompt the growth of new shoots, so limit this activity for a while longer unless you are dealing with hardy woody trees and shrubs. Do not prune your azaleas yet as they bloom on old wood and cutting them now removes this year’s blooms.

Also, don’t take the warm weather as a sign to start planting cold sensitive ornamentals or vegetables. Wait until later in the season when the risk of cold is gone.

Flustered Flowering

Another symptom of this winter has been some flowering occurring a bit early. Many plants that are blooming will not be effected by the warm weather as the triggering of flowering and budding can also depend upon variables like day length. However, those that do will be at risk of being damaged by frost.

For most landscapes, you will probably just see a reduced flower season if a cold snap does strike.

This can be especially damaging to fruit trees like peaches that can bloom and the cold can then kill the blooms, leading to lower yields. If you see flowering and bud break on fruit trees, it would be a good idea to provide cold protection when needed.

Keep up With the Trends

Speaking of cold protection, make sure to keep up when you need to remove or provide cold protection. The continual process of bringing in potted plants during cold or removing frost coverings in the morning before a warmer day may be tedious but is often necessary.

The continued weather fluctuations can be highly annoying but using these best practices can help your garden survive into our Spring.

If you have any horticultural, agricultural, 4-H or family and consumer science questions, contact us by email at clay@ifas.ufl.edu or call (904) 284-6355.