January - Desiree Gardens

After a hard freeze, don’t panic! How to evaluate damage.

Desiree Gardens January 22, 2024 January 23, 2024Calendar, Extreme Heat, February, Freezes, January, Weather 0

Well, we’ve finally emerged from the frigid ice-box that was North Texas these past few days. Hopefully you’ve been able to shelter your most sensitive plants through cleverly designed micro-climates, deep watering, and judicious use of frost cloth. Frost cloth is remarkably effective in the day time when properly applied: it provides a 5°F to as much as 10° rise in temperatures during the day time. That’s more than adequate for most plants as it brings our lows in the teens up to 25° plus. The danger comes at night when their effectiveness dwindles, leaving plants to rely on adequate water and ground temperature to help them weather the storm.

The most important thing when evaluating frost or freeze damage is not to panic. Some damage is easy to find: black or mushy leaves and stems are easy to find on non-woody plants and can be removed straight away, but don’t just start pulling out plants. While some damage is normal, many many plants will be able to recover with the first warmup of spring. Some plants will die completely back to the ground only to recover from their ground insulated roots. Other plants will look damaged with curled leaves, some discoloration, and branches that appear dry and dead. For woody plants, shrubs and trees, patience is key. Certain palms, waxleaf ligustrums, oleanders, and gardenias are some example of woody plants that cannot tolerate the cold. Still, give these guys time and wait until spring to give them a fair chance for a proper evaluation.

January is often one of our driest months, but we’ve been blessed with an abundance of precipitation both during and after our most recent hard freeze. As mentioned in a previous article, water is one of the best defenses against freeze damage. Moist soil and mulch hold an immense amount of water, and that water resists changing into ice until it has lost a significant amount of energy. Liquid water will remain at 32°F for quite some time before freezing. This is also why well watered and hydrated plants suffer less damage than dry plants. Additionally, water features and swimming pools will contribute heat and atmospheric moisture (humidity) to the surrounding plants.

Your frost cloth provides wind protection as well and prevents wind burn on sensitive leaves. Plant location also plays a huge factor here. We mentioned creating a micro-climate for your garden earlier. This means that your most sensitive plants should be on the south side of a structure like a fence or house where they not only get wind protection but also benefit from the direct sun in the daylight. Hardier plants can be placed on the north side of houses, fences, or other structures. The hardiest evergreens can be placed so that they provide shelter from biting north winds for more sensitive plants that are south of this wind block. Finally, brick, stone, and rock, including large boulders, absorb a significant amount of solar radiation during the day that is then released back as heat during the night.

To recap, if you are using some or all of these tactics your plants will stand a much better chance of surviving cold snaps. But after things warm up don’t panic! Some damage is to be expected but many plants are much hardier than people give them credit for. They may look a little sad for a while, but give them a chance until spring to see how well they actually fared before you start cutting limbs and branches or digging them out.

Need help with your irrigation or sprinkler system? Does your garden need an overhaul or just a general checkup? Maybe you just need a helping hand to protect sensitive plants from freeze and frost. Give us a call at 817-202-4808, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

Like what you’re reading? Get information like this delivered straight to your email inbox by signing up here. We will never sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Freeze Warning! How to protect your plants.

Desiree Gardens January 13, 2024 January 13, 2024Freezes, January, Weather 0

We are on the cusp of a frigid couple of days this week, and with temperatures dropping into the single digits even some of your hardiest plants may need a little bit of help.

Let’s start by going over plants that will do fine in this cold: Any trees or shrubs that have lost their leaves for the winter will be fine. They are dormant and, absent the roots actually freezing, should be fine. One exception is container plants. Any trees or shrubs – any plant really – that is in a container should get special attention as this cold snap can freeze the roots of container plants far easier than plants in the ground. All of your winter annuals should be fine, and some perennials that have managed to stick around this long, even if they won’t tolerate the cold without dying back to the ground, will be okay. Don’t panic if you see some of these plants die back to the ground. Come spring they will explode with life again.

If you do have container plants that you cannot bring inside, make sure to give them a good deep watering and then wrap the container in blankets or frost cloth. This method works well for your other plants in the ground that need protection: frost cloth or blankets should cover the plant entirely and be staked to the ground. If you’re using moving blankets or something that is more difficult to stake you can anchor them with bricks or rock. Again, deep watering is one of the best ways to prevent freeze damage. Water has to lose quite a bit of energy in order to make the change over to ice. This means that, until it freezes, it will stay right at 32°F until it finally gets cold enough to change to ice. For plants in the ground it will likely never freeze in our area due to the natural warmth of the ground.

Deep watering before a freeze also ensures that your plants are properly hydrated. The same principle we discussed above also applies here. Dried out plants can freeze much easier than plants that are well watered. Frost cloth or blankets help here as well by keeping the harsh winds off of the plant. During cold spells like this that frigid air can cause wind burn and damage leaves on your evergreen plants.

Like what you’re reading? Get information like this delivered straight to your email inbox by signing up here. We will never sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Gardening in January? Don’t Miss This Update.

Desiree Gardens January 3, 2024 December 12, 2023Calendar, January, Natural Gardens, Plants 0

The cold weather has settled in for the winter and most gardens have gone to sleep for the season. But that doesn’t mean that we’re done: Now is the perfect time for getting all of your necessary chores done before the big spring.

The winter, when woody trees and shrubs are dormant, is the perfect time for planting. If you’ve considered adding these to your landscape, especially Japanese maples, now is the perfect time to set them in the ground. You won’t see much activity until the spring, but the roots will be active setting your new plant up for a marvelous flush of new leaves when the warm weather returns. Despite their dormancy, it is still critically important to properly water in your new trees and shrubs in order to encourage proper root growth. Consider native trees for your Texas garden. They will be more drought tolerant and will adapt quickly to Texas soils and climate. Now is also the time to divide perennials and biennials such as phlox, violets, irises, and daylilies if they are crowded. This will help them grow better and produce more flowers in the spring.

For all trees except for oaks (these are best trimmed in late summer due to the oak wilt fungus) this is the time to prune and trim as well. How much to trim and where depends heavily on the species. A certified arborist from Desiree Gardens can help you to determine where and how much to cut so that your plants have the best shot at a glorious spring. This is also a great time for excess brush and deadfall, including any dead annuals, to be hauled out of your garden. This will give you a nice blank slate when the warm weather returns. Don’t forget to add a nice layer of mulch afterwards.

Irrigation systems should be set to water less frequently, as the majority of plants do not need as much water in the winter. Plant water usage is heavily dependent not just on temperature, but also on the amount of sunlight the plant receives. That sunlight, combined with water and CO2 is what your garden uses to generate energy and grow, or to store for later in the winter when there is not as much sun. A little water is still necessary as we go through the late winter droughts that are common here, but don’t neglect to ensure that your rain/freeze sensor is working properly.

For winter color, annuals such as dianthus and pansies can be found in abundance at your local nursery. You might also look into some other winter blooming perennials such as camellias and hellebores. Also known as lenten roses, hellebores are incredibly hardy and their blooms can withstand the harshest of freezes here in North Texas. These little guys, along with ornamental cabbage and kale are available right now from Desiree Gardens.

Like what you’re reading? Get information like this delivered straight to your email inbox by signing up here. We will never sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.