Help

A cold front is coming and I can't get my plants in due to health problems. It will get down to a low of 29. Can I just cover them? I have a wide variety from succulents to plumeria to nun's orchids to etc.

If it's just one night that's getting that cold covering them might be OK, chances are they'll only see temps below freezing for a few hours. But if this is going to be a long lasting cold front and it's going to be multiple nights of below freezing temperatures, you might want to see if you can find someone to help you bring them in. I'm guessing you're in zone 9? I don't know what succulents you have, but plumerias and orchids are not hardy in zone 9 so you're really doing the best thing for your plants if you can find someone to help you get them inside. If you don't have friends/family in the area, maybe there's a teenager in the neighborhood who'd be willing to help you out for a little holiday spending money?

Most of your succulents should be just fine even without cover, but I would throw black plastic or even newspaper and an old sheet over them if you are able. I would definately cover the plumeria if you can't get them inside. I don't know about the nun's orchid. I'm curious as to what those are and will have to look them up. (I love learning about a new plant). Most everything will probably make it through the night as ecrane3 said. I have had many pleasant surprises with much lower temps. than you are expecting. Good luck!

Should I water everything the day before? I have heard that water can protect plants from freeze.

Being fully hydrated can help...but I wouldn't water the plants if the soil is still plenty wet from last time you watered, overwatering will kill them just as sure as cold! But if they're on the dry side and about due for watering anyway then it could help them.

HI--a day late you can spray a high phosphate fertilizer on them as the phosphates will raise the surface temp of the plant and help them survive soray top and bottom of leaves and whole plant--if you have any maxicrop seaweed powder you could spray them with it to the end of results being the same--weekly sprayings are necessary with reacurring cold spells-daily sprayings with maxicrop work and will never harm plants they say you cannot put too much on also any runoff has t compliment of nearly all the trace minerals in existance--great stuff------may not save some plants and do just fine with others possibly one degree difference in the same area or something--ive saved some plants that have large leaves which are usually the first ones to be affected-------if it is a killing frost go out in the early morning and spray the leavesbefor the sun hits them as the sun its self on the cold leaf will wipe them out--the same plants one not touched by the sun when there is frost on it can go undamaged while the other is killed-----stevo

Can you make a temp tent using garden canes and plastic bags as this should offer some shelter from frost, or, buy the fine woven covers for protecting plants and seedlings from all sorts of diseases and frost, you buy it at garden centers, diy stores etc, either by the metre or in a pack already cut to a size, it is easy to throw over the pots or rows and so easy to fold up and store for next time you need it, it is so fine, it also helps should sun scorch be a problem, you can water through it also, cost little and will last for a good few years, I use it for wind scorch, frost, stopping bugs get to lay eggs in my veg plot, and also shades the greenhouse as a curtain, so very versatile. Good luck. WeeNel.

We are due to have our first freeze in more than 5 years in a couple of days. I have lots of plants that I cannot move inside because of their size and space limitations in the house. We are supposed to have a low of 32 one night and 27 the next night so I will be moving a lot of plants up against the south side of the house and covering them with old sheets, blankets and comforters! We've done this many times over the past 32 years and since our cold doesn't last more than a couple of nights at a time everything does okay. It usually warms up enough during the day to help. I watered everything real well today and have all my covers ready to go. I know my huge Schefflera trees that are in the ground will be mush but they always resprout in spring. Same goes for the huge Split Leaf Philodendrons. I would never ever cover plants with plastic of any kind during frost or freezes. You can use plastic if you can make a tent with poles, sticks or something - to keep ice off the leaves but you don't want plastic touching the leaves if there is going to be frost. Another good plant cover for protection is cardboard boxes if you could find enough and of decent size to cover the plants in question.

Good luck with your plants swampguy; I hope u dont loose any but if u do that they are minimal. I know I was feeling paranoid cuz I did put mine in shelter pretty early in the year and we were still having summer like weather. Now Im glad I did. We have had a pretty cold few fronts come thru and it looks like they have done well. I did water the ones I left out as mentioned above. For future reference, I buy some of the bags that blankets/comforters come in to cover those pots that I leave out. They really work well and the openings are wide enough to fit around large pots.

Heard the weather this morning and it will get to below freezing tonight for 8 to 9 hrs and hit a low of 24. Found some help and will move them inside.

Just thought I would mention about the dangers of plastic covers for plants, I have on some occasions had to resort to making tents with garden canes and plastic bin bags, but you need to remove them for part of the day so air can circulate the plants, I only re-cover when it starts to get a bit dark, by then the frost night air is back and the tent has been removed long enough to prevent damage to foliage, guess we all have to work with what we can find in an emergency, but caution is the best remedy. good luck with every-ones plants that are about to be frosted, it really is a worrying time, especially when the plants are large. Weenel.