Harnett County Center

CAUTION:The information and recommendations in this article are applicable to Harnett County, NC and may not apply in other areas.

COLD DAMAGE TO LANDSCAPE PLANTS, 3/13/98

Does our weather seem to be getting stranger every year? I'll leave that question to the meteorologists, but let's take a look at the effect on our plants.

The first thing I want everyone to know is that the average date for the last spring freeze is around April 10. So when should you plant those warm season vegetables and annual flowers? That's right, wait until AFTER April 10!

As far as assessing the damage from what happened earlier this week, only time will tell. I know that many of the perennials (daylilies, sedum, herbs, etc.) in my own yard had already begun to put out new growth. And yes, this growth is probably quite tender.

You may have tried to cover plants with sheets, overturned plastic pots, or a thick layer of pine straw. This works well by holding some of the heat that builds up in the soil, and also insulating against cold winds. Some damage may still occur, but less than you would have otherwise.

For those plants that were exposed, scout around over the next couple of days to look for damage. Be sure to remove any dying foliage. Hopefully those perennials that were damaged will resprout with new growth.

If, like me, you have already pruned your shrubs, there is the possibility of injury there as well. Woody plants are more susceptible to cold for a couple of weeks after being pruned. Be sure to watch for and remove any dead wood you find after things start to green up.

So what can we learn from this experience? Considering last month's deluge of water, last summer's drought, and the ice storms and hurricane from 1996, we can be sure of one thing. Expect the unexpected.

But there are a couple of helpful strategies. The first is to become familiar with the environment in your own yard. Where are the low spots? From which direction does the wind come in the summer and winter? Where are the sunniest spots during each season? Which way is north?

Your backyard probably has several "microclimates." These are small areas where there may be slight differences in soil moisture, temperature, humidity, wind exposure, sun exposure, etc. By identifying them, you can select plants which are adapted to that spot.

For example, a plant which normally would not survive our winter might make it if planted in a protected spot. In the low spots, you may want to plant shrubs that will tolerate wet feet. The second strategy is to select only the toughest plants. Before purchasing, do some research to identify which plants are likely to do well. Doing research may involve more than simply reading the plant tag at the nursery on Saturday morning. But the results are likely to be well worth the extra effort. And I have many free resources available to help you.

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