A tropical cold spell not a good thing
I am sure there’s a lot of local horticulture just curling up their leaves with this unusual blast of arctic air. I know my toes are curled up in nice snug socks. I did have to dig around to find a pair – not my usual choice of clothing even in January.
I hope all gardens and yards are properly protected and able to take this cold. Mature plantings of anything will probably survive with light damage. Young plantings are much more tender and not intended for this type of weather, especial several nights in a row.
Experienced gardeners in this area will know what to cover up and what not to. The problem is, even experience fails us during a serious cold spell. I know, been there done that.
I do not have any tomatoes or pepper plants to cover up but with a cold spell like this, I would be covering them up each evening and uncovering them in the morning. The saving grace here is the early sun that will add its light warmth and usual good things to all growing things.
Covering up and uncovering is a nuisance but needs to be done.
I water the soil of potted plants during the warmest part of day, not the foliage, just the soil. This will provide some moisture and keep the soil from becoming dry as a bone.
Yes, it will become that dry with the cold air and the wind, evaporating the moisture out. You can use newspaper, held together with several clothespins. All gardeners should have a can full of clothespins in their garage, or on their planting table. They are very useful and when you start to use them you will be happy.
Old sheets – always keep a couple handy. They are lightweight and cover a large grouping of plants or a few bushes.
You do need to understand that these coverings do not stay put day and night. First thing in the morning, everything gets uncovered. The sheets may be damp and lay heavily on plants, even the newspaper may be damp. Uncover so that the sun can do its thing.
Some plants, orchards for example can just be placed in a garage – have door open during the day for light. Orchids that are mature and are already acclimated to outside weather fluctuations will probably be all right. Definitely do not take them inside the house where the dry air and heat are too much of a change. Be creative, bundle several on a tray and you can set them away from the lanai screen back to the house wall at night, and back to more light in daytime.
I was fortunate for years to have folding hurricane shutters across the back of lanai. I would put everything behind those doors and the temperature was always at least 50 degrees.
I do have a friend who lives in Leigh and she leaves most of her orchids out under their usual tree space. It might be a problem with being out over a long period but she waters them carefully to keep them from drying out too much, and has had good luck with doing the right thing at the right time.
We are in for another cold front and this one will bring some rain, not nice warm rain but cold. This will probably bother people more than plants, however, just watch to see a pot is not holding this water and not draining.
When this cold spell is over do not rush out to cut everything back. Wait a couple of days and you will see some green coming back and it will give you a better idea of what needs to be cut away. I could write a book about what to cut and what not. I cannot do that here.
Check your computer, ask your neighbors, call the Extension Office in Fort Myers, or check with a nursery for information. You can also be brave and do what you think is correct. That is how gardeners learn.
Who would really want a garden that once planted, and thriving, never changed, never needed a tender trim, never looked needy? A gardener’s dream? I think more like a gardener’s fantasy, and we all know a fantasy is not reality.
Happy gardening, till we meet again.
H.I. Jean Shields is Past President of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.