When cold temperatures arrive, many people are concerned about protecting tender/marginally hardy plants in their landscape. Plants that are marginally hardy in your zone are best planted in the spring to allow a longer growing period to become established. The more established a plant is in the landscape, the better suited it is to withstand environmental adversities such as low temperatures.
Not only does a plant's length of establishment affect it's durability, but placement in the landscape also plays an important role. If a plant is planted near the foundation of the house or at the base of a brick or stone wall, there will be more radiant heat available to a plant and it's root zone than a plant that is planted in an bed that is open on all sides. Courtyards and enclosed backyards also provide some degree of protection as well. Each individual environment that a plant is planted in is considered a microclimate. As you can see, there are many factors that can influence these microclimates and play a part in plant hardiness.
As the temperatures drop, some plants you may consider providing additional protection (depending on the afore mentioned factors) are palms, Encore Azaleas, gardenias, hawthornes, and oleander. One important consideration in preparing those tender plants for the cold temperatures, is to make sure the plants are well watered. Broadleaf evergreen plants are much less likely to suffer leaf damage due to cold drying winds when they are well hydrated. You may also wish to cover plants with burlap, sheet or other type of breathable material and secure edges with brick or rocks. It is important to secure the edges to prevent wind from getting under the cover and causing it to flap around, which could cause breakage. Depending on the size of the plant, you could use an upside down pot or a trash can inverted over the plant.
When protecting palms, the main concern is the growing point. This is where the new fronds emerge in the center of the crown. If this growing point is damaged, many palms will not recover. To protect the growing point, gather all the fronds upward and secure together above the crown.You can then wrap the growing point with burlap, blanket, or other type of insulating material. You could also make a circular cage around the trunk of the palm and fill with leaves to provide an insulating layer, or a combination of these two techniques.
Hope everyone has a good winter, bundle up and spring will be here before you know it.
