First freeze is comin’

Some years there are parts of South Texas that never do have a killing freeze. Parts of far North Texas could have one as early as three days from now.

What do you do when it looks like the growing season might come to a halt? Many times, if you can pull your plants through that first frost or light freeze, there will be several more frost-free weeks before winter arrives to stay. Let’s take a look.

• For a light frost: Frost forms on plants’ leaves just as it does on car windshields during cold, clear and still weather. Frost can disfigure or kill plants, so take precautions even when temperatures are expected to fall no more than into the high 30s. Covering plants with lightweight nursery frost cloth or old sheets can gain several degrees’ worth of cold protection. Move container plants under the cover of porches or beneath eaves.

• For an actual freeze (32F or below): Protect hardy plants (such as chrysanthemums in bloom, also leafy and root vegetables) with lightweight nursery frost cloth fabric. You’ll gain several degrees of protection from these materials when you use them to cover tender annuals such as tomatoes or marigolds. Freeze-sensitive annuals can be protected from hard freezes by covering with plastic suspended away from their leaves. Supply supplemental heat to keep temperatures above freezing beneath the cover. Do not allow leaves and flowers to touch the cold plastic.

Just in case you observe this in your lawn…
The bermudagrass lawn in my photo had been hit by a killing frost (but not a hard freeze). The unusual pattern showed up a couple of days after the frost, and it alarmed the homeowners involved. The good news always is that this is of no concern. As soon as a hard freeze hits, all the grass will turn brown uniformly.