Monday evening freeze may affect your plants

JACKSON, Tenn. — Freezing cold conditions are expected Monday evening, which could bring an end to your warm season gardens for the year.

While some may have already seen first frost, others will likely see it during the evening, bringing an end to green and blooming warm season plants.

“Now is the time to get those cuttings taken. If you want to save anything, bring it inside and get it rooted, or start to go throughout the winter. This is your last chance,” said Celeste Scott, a Horticulture Extension Agent at the University of Tennessee.

If you’re trying to save any warm season plants, the best thing to do is to cover them to provide greater insulation, but most will die or go dormant after frost begins. Cold season plants will thrive in the cooler temperatures and don’t need a lot of help.

“To save for a little bit longer, you can throw a light sheet over them and that sheet is going to provide a little more insulation, and then they need to take it of first thing in the morning,” Scott said.

If your fruits or vegetables aren’t quite ripe, you may want to increase their insulation the best you can, or you can pick them and store them in newspaper in a cool place to slow the ripening process.

“In the past, I have unstaked tomato vines and allowed them to lie on the ground and covered them loosely with wheat straw. That could help provide them with some insulation and protection,” Scott said.

And along with plants, mowing season is almost over for warm season grasses. After first frost, most warm season lawns will go dormant until next spring. In the meantime, raise your mowing height and sharpen mowing blades for the best health in your lawn.

“Our warm season grasses are going to remain dormant now until it starts warming up in the spring. So here in Tennessee, it starts warming up around the end of march April time frame,” said Kim Brown, a West Tennessee Lawn Specialist at the University of Tennessee.

It’s recommended to get a soil test to ensure you aren’t under or over-fertilizing your lawns and have the best nutrients for healthy lawns and plants.

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