Freezes - Desiree Gardens

Another Deep Freeze Incoming

Desiree Gardens January 13, 2025 January 13, 2025Freezes, January, Uncategorized 0

Beginning this weekend, the 17th through the 20th of January 2025 we’re expecting another hard freeze. This means it’s time again to make sure that your plants are adequately taken care of.

If you already have freeze cloth installed, don’t remove it, just leave it in place. With an adequate ground seal the frost cloth can provide as much as a 10°F increase in temperature around your plants. This means that the lows in the teens that we’re expecting this weekend will feel more like lows in the mid 20°s which may still damage some plants, but should not kill your hardy plants. It should be noted that the white frost cloth does still allow plenty of sunlight through to nurture and feed your plants with existing winter foliage or evergreen plants.

The other thing you can do to help protect your plants is to water them deeply immediately before a hard freeze – that is the afternoon and evening before a hard freeze. The addition of liquid water not only hydrates your plants and makes if more difficult for them to suffer from freeze damage, but the liquid water in the soil creates a little micro-climate underneath your frost cloth. Water requires an immense amount of energy loss before it transitions from liquid to solid ice. This resistance to what we call “phase change” from water to ice provides warmth to your plant by keeping the ambient temperature above 32°F until it has lost enough heat energy to finally change over to ice.

So what’s the plan? Simple: keep your frost cloth in place, inspect it to make sure that it has a good seal to the ground to trap warm air, and deeply water all of your plants to help provide additional protection against freezing.

To learn more about the Irrigreen systems we can install for you, visit Irrigreen.com, or give us a call at 877-558-1496.

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It’s COLD outside! Winter gardening activities for January.

Desiree Gardens January 6, 2025 January 6, 2025Calendar, Freezes, Irrigation, January 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.
In the winter, right now, 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, this is when you want to go ahead and 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. It 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. January 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.
Annuals such as dianthus and pansies planted for winter color 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.
While we’re discussing freezes, let’s take a moment to discuss the best way to protect your more vulnerable plants from excess cold. By far the most effective method is water. Water holds an abundance of energy and, even if air temperatures drop below 32°, it will stay liquid until it has lost enough energy through heat radiation. This is important to humans and plants. It’s why we need proper hydration in extreme temperatures both hot and cold. If you know a freeze is coming water your plants, even the dormant ones, abundantly. The water in the surface soil helps to protect the roots while any water taken up by the plants helps to protect sensitive leaves, fruits, or flowers. Of course frost cloth helps as well, but it needs to be properly installed. Our crews here at Desiree Gardens are always ready to mobilize prior to a hard freeze to protect plants using frost cloth that is staked down to the ground and propped up so it doesn’t cause damage to upper portions of your more sensitive plants.
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.
As our gardens start lay dormant it’s a good time to do an irrigation audit and make any needed repairs. Desiree Gardens has partnered with Irrigreen, a manufacturer of custom digital sprinkler systems you can monitor from an app on your phone. To learn more about the Irrigreen systems we can install for you, visit Irrigreen.com, use the QR link below, or give us a call at 877-558-1496. It’s also a good time to make any hardscape changes or additions.
No matter the time of year there is always something to do in a North Texas garden. Winter doesn’t mean that your garden is done. Gardens in our area can remain very active year round even in the depths of winter.
Happy gardening and, as always, take time to play in the dirt!

First a freeze, now SNOW?

Desiree Gardens January 5, 2025 January 5, 2025Freezes, Ice and Snow, Weather 0

As if the hard freeze starting tonight wasn’t enough, now we have a significant chance of snow and ice. What’s a North Texas gardener to do?

First, tonight, Sunday night, deeply water everything you can. The liquid water helps protect the plant and roots from the freezing cold air. The freezing nights are expected to last through Friday, and current forecasts have a good chance of ice and / or snow for most of North Texas. What does that mean for our gardens?

Hopefully by now you’ve moved all of your potted plants inside. The cold weather will get to them first as they don’t have the advantage of warmth from the earth itself to keep the roots and bulbs from freezing. Any other cold sensitive plants in the ground should be covered with frost cloth. This helps protect from the freezing winds and traps heat from the ground to keep the plants just a little bit warmer.

Now onto the snow and ice: By and large, snow and ice are fine for most gardens. The snow provides a protective blanket for most plants, shielding them from the bitter cold in the air above. Ice, if it falls in the form of sleet, does mostly the same thing. The primary concern is freezing rain and wet heavy snow on tree limbs. The additional weight of ice and snow on trees and bushes can cause significant damage. In the case of freezing rain, there’s not much to be done except to be prepared to trim off the damaged limbs once it’s melted. If it’s snow you can clear the weight off of low shrubs and bushes to help protect them, and attempt to shake it off of the trees. But like freezing rain, the weight of a heavy wet snow can cause significant limb damage, so it’s best to simply be prepared to clean up the broken branches in the aftermath.

No matter the time of year there is always something to do in a North Texas garden. Winter doesn’t mean that your garden is done. Gardens in our area can remain very active year round even in the depths of winter.

Happy gardening and, as always, take time to play in the dirt!

There’s a FREEZE coming! What do I do?

Desiree Gardens January 2, 2025 January 2, 2025Freezes, Irrigation, Weather 0

Yes, that’s right our first hard freeze of the winter is just a few days away, forecast to hit Sunday night / Monday morning with lows in the 20s. And, it’s not just one night but expected to last 3-4 nights of hard freezing weather. But don’t panic.

Most plants that we have in North Texas are winter hardy to zones 7a/b and should be fine, though they might go dormant. Summer perennials such as lantanas will die back to the ground, but they’ll be back next year. Summer and fall annuals that are not freeze hardy will die back, but that’s perfectly normal. Fall and winter annuals such as pansies, dianthus, and decorative kale will be just fine.

For your sensitive perennial plants, those that are not particularly freeze hardy, there are a number of things that you can do. The first is, Sunday afternoon before the freeze hits that night, water all of your plants very deeply. Liquid water is one of the best safeguards against freezing weather. The second thing you can do is place frost cloth over the plant. Take care not to damage the foliage. We recommend using a stake to form a kind of teepee or tent over the plant using frost cloth. This helps retain the warmth from the earth and, along with deep watering, will keep your plant from freezing if it is susceptible to cold temperatures.

Any potted plants MUST be brought inside unless they are VERY cold hardy. This is because potted plants do not have the advantage of retaining warmth from the earth and will lose heat much faster by being above ground. Move your potted plants into the garage, into the house, somewhere where the root ball in the pot will not become frozen. Do remember to water them deeply as well, especially if you are bringing them inside the house. The humidity inside your house is almost always drier than the air outside and can literally suck the water out of your potted plants through evapotranspiration leaving them much thirstier than when they were outside.

Finally, we get questions about irrigation systems. By and large, you don’t need to worry about your irrigation or sprinkler system. If you have a rain/freeze sensor, or an internet connected smart system, the system will shut off automatically. You don’t need to worry about blowing out water from the lines here in North Texas. The freezes we get don’t penetrate the soil to a depth that will run any risk of freezing the water in your system. Even just a couple of inches of dirt provides more than enough insulation for your sprinkler system. However, if you are still concerned you can turn off the main line water supply and then run each zone to allow the water to drain out of the system. Here in North Texas that is usually more than sufficient to prevent any freeze damage to your irrigation system.

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February is here, and it’s time to get ready for spring!

Desiree Gardens February 3, 2024 February 4, 2024Annuals, Calendar, February, Freezes, Natural Gardens, Perennials, Plants, Weather 0

February begins to herald the change to spring here in North Texas, and while we often get some of our hardest freezes in February it’s also the time when your garden will begin to wake up. Most plants use a combination of available sunlight, as the days grow longer, as well as soil temperature to decide when to come out of dormancy. Now is also the time to begin planning your spring garden. But what needs to be done now?

This is the perfect time to prune woody trees and shrubs, except for oaks, while they are still dormant. Any remaining ornamental grasses and perennials should also get a trim to be ready for spring, although there are some exceptions: plants like wisteria set their buds in the fall and should not be trimmed until later in the spring after flowering. If there are any deadfall, loose brush, or annuals that have run their course, it is time to do a deep cleaning in your garden and pull all that out. It’s not too late to plant new trees and shrubs, but it’s wise to prune by as much as 50% (depending on species) them when they are planted. Nandinas, for example, whether new or existing should be severely pruned back with the tallest canes taken back all the way to ground level. This will encourage more bushy growth and prevent them from becoming too leggy.

If you are starting anything from seed they should be planted indoors for now so that they are ready for planting when the soil temperature warms up a bit. Certain perennials should also be planted, or at least get them ready to be planted, such as mallows, gloriosas, fall asters and salvias. Cool season annuals can also be swapped out for iceland poppies, larkspur, and sweet alyssum.

You can begin to fertilize your trees and shrubs right now, but hold off a little bit on any cold-sensitive plants. They should wait until late March or just before Easter before being fertilized. By the same token your lawns should be scalped, fertilized (depending on the species, it’s still to early to fertilize your warm weather lawns such as St. Augustine) and possibly amend with peat moss towards the end of this month. If possible, make sure to bag the clippings and use it in your compost or as mulch. Remove any winter seeds and start looking to use a pre-emergent weed killer later this month or in early March depending on the weather. If you need to aerate your lawn to help reduce soil compaction this is a good time for that as well.

Remember that we can get hard freezes even through late March and early April, so try not to get overeager and be prepared to use frost cloth to protect your sensitive plants from early spring cold snaps. This is an exciting time of year for gardeners as the warmth of spring is just barely in sight. Consult your local nursery to see what plants are in stock and appropriate to be planted right now, and don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call for a consultation specific to your garden goals.

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.

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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.

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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.

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