{"id":2069,"date":"2019-11-04T13:40:13","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T13:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/mgmetro\/?p=2069"},"modified":"2019-11-04T16:18:12","modified_gmt":"2019-11-04T16:18:12","slug":"cold-weather-a-few-reminders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/mgmetro\/2019\/11\/04\/cold-weather-a-few-reminders\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold Weather: A Few Reminders"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jean R. Natter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group and water containers<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In an emergency, as in you were caught off guard, realize\nthat container-grown plants are more sensitive to cold than the same kind of\nplants in the ground. It\u2019s because roots are more sensitive to cold than top\ngrowth. Root are essentially exposed when in pots but are protected by the\nlarge soil mass in the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first things that need attention are container-grown\nplants. Set them pot-to-pot tight, in a sheltered place, then throw frost-blanket\nor an old blanket over the group. You can protect hanging baskets similarly, by\nsetting each one on an up-turned pot or bucket. Then, too, a large cardboard\nbox will shelter an individual specimen nicely. Such emergency covers can\nprotect against several degrees of cold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But don\u2019t use plastic sheeting unless you prop it above the\nplants. The reason? When the freeze arrives, any plant tissue touching the\nplastic will die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have sufficient time to think ahead, make certain all\nthe containers are well-watered, even those you\u2019re unable to move because of\ntheir size or weight. Even though it may be hard to believe, moist growing\nmedia is less likely to freeze than if it\u2019s dry. (That\u2019s true for all plants,\nwhether in a container or the ground.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you forget to set the plants in a sheltered site, you may still be able to protect them if you act just before dawn, the time when the lowest temperature occurs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The<\/strong> effects of a freeze<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Frozen plant tissue turns dark and becomes soft to mushy. The reason, in most cases, is that ice crystals form inside the plant cells during a freeze and, then, perforated the cell walls. If you see minor freeze damage on a treasured plant early in the day, you may be able to limit potentially serious damage by shading the damaged area from direct sunlight. With shade, the intracellular ice crystals thaw slowly and will be less likely to rupture cell walls than if they thawed rapidly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Camellia<\/figure>
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Camellia sasanqua<\/em>, a winter-flowering shrub with flower damage from freezing temperatures several days prior. The damaged tissue is somewhat brown and appears moist; the petals flop. (J.R. Natter; Dec 6, 2009) <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some generalizations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n