Frost: Occurs when temperatures dip to 32°F or slightly below for a short period.

Hard Freeze: Happens when temperatures fall below 28°F for several hours, posing a more significant threat to plants.

How to Protect Your Plants and Lawn

During a Frost (32°F – 28°F)

1. Cover Vulnerable Plants:

Use lightweight materials like old sheets, frost cloths, or burlap to cover tropical plants and flowers overnight. It is very important to remove these covers each
morning and replace them each evening as the cold weather persists.

Secure covers at the base to trap heat but avoid weighing them down on delicate plants.

2. Water Your Plants:

Moist soil retains heat better. Water the ground around plants in the afternoon before the frost.

3. Bring Potted Plants Indoors:

If possible, move potted tropical plants and young palms to a sheltered area or indoors.

During a Hard Freeze (Below 28°F):

1. Wrap Palm Trees:
Wrap the trunks of young or sensitive palms with burlap or frost cloth. Protect the heart of the palm (center growth) with additional insulation.

2. Add a Heat Source:

For high-value plants, consider using string lights (not LED) or specialized plant heat lamps for extra warmth.

3. Mulch Heavily:

Apply 2-4 inches of mulch around the base of plants to insulate roots.

4. Watering your Turf

Watering before a hard freeze can help reduce desiccation (drying out) caused by cold winds and freezing temperatures.

Do not water immediately after a freeze, as the turf will be in a fragile state and overwatering could stress it further.

What to Expect After Cold Weather

Even with protection, some plants may show signs of cold damage. Here are common issues to look for and what you can do:

Tropical Plants like Hibiscus, Gardenia & Bouganvillea:

The cold weather will most likely cause your tender plants like the hibiscus, jatropha and gardenia to drop some leaves and flowers to wilt or fail to bloom.

Do not be alarmed. This is just a natural reaction to temperature changes.

With the upcoming cold nights, we highly recommend covering your plants. If you’re unable to cover everything, give priority to your tropical or newly planted plants. Hopefully blustery winds will keep ice or frost from forming. Don’t worry too much; most plants will recover from a frost without any issues.

Your technician will be checking on your plants and giving them what they need to recover and thrive. If you don’t have our Tree &; Shrub Care Program and are
concerned about your landscaping, just give us a call. We’re happy to help.

Recovery: Most Florida plants are resilient. Trim dead or damaged branches in spring, and new growth should appear as temperatures warm.

Palms:
Fronds may turn brown or black, especially if the heart (center growth) is damaged.

Recovery: Remove only fully dead fronds in spring. Palms with an intact heart will often recover.

St. Augustine Turf:
You may see browning in your lawn. We call this “freeze damage”. It typically grows out and is mowed off without any significant damage to the roots of your grass. While it may be unsightly for a few weeks, don’t be alarmed for the future.

The good news is crabgrass, bermuda grass and carpet grass are more susceptible to cold than St. Augustine. While there isn’t a product we can apply to kill these invasive grasses, if it’s cold enough, for long enough, the weather may do that for us. This is good news. Your technician will push the health and growth of your good grass while these invasive grasses are suffering.

After the Cold Snap

Do Not Prune Immediately: Allow damaged leaves to stay on plants; they act as a shield against further cold. Wait until new growth appears in spring before trimming.

Monitor Watering: Avoid overwatering as plants recover from cold stress.

By taking these steps, you can minimize damage to your landscape and help your plants thrive through Florida’s chilly spells.