Homeowners who recall the Polar Vortex almost exactly two years ago are finding dire shortages of supplies to prepare their fruit trees, palm trees, and other exotic plants from the Arctic Blast that is scheduled to occur starting this Sunday afternoon. As the temperatures drop early Saturday to a forecast of 10 degrees on Tuesday morning, North Texas residents risk losing some of their most treasured and expensive landscaping elements.
While we can’t control the weather, there are specific actions we can take to enhance the protection of our yards and gardens.. Here are eight recommendations to protect landscaping, gardens, irrigation systems, and swimming pool heaters:
1. Water before the Arctic Blast arrives. A good watering one or two days before the freeze will help insulate the lawn and plants from the extreme cold. Dry ground will place your plants at risk, so water today if we don’t receive the predicted rain. 2. Turn your sprinkler system off during freezing weather. Test your rain/freeze sensor to confirm it is operating correctly to avoid creating a layer of ice on your yard, sidewalks, and driveway. Your irrigation system pipes may burst if frozen water attempts to run during extremely cold conditions. 3. Mulch your landscape beds. Make sure your landscape beds – the home of your flowers, plants, and even ground cover foliage – are insulated with mulch to protect the roots of your plants. Three inches of mulch is ideal, and two inches is a minimum amount. If you experience a shortage of mulch wherever you are shopping, you can substitute fallen leaves and/or pine needles. 4. Bring your potted tropical plants and citrus trees inside. Extreme temperatures can severely damage or kill these plants and trees. If you don’t have adequate space to bring the plants or citrus trees into your home, at least bring them inside your garage. Some may require a heat lamp. 5. Wrap tropical plants and palm trees. You need to wrap your tropical plants and palm trees that are planted in the ground with frost cloth (which is a thin, breathable fabric that allows plants to trap heat from the sun in the daytime to help keep the plants warm at night) or burlap. You may also use incandescent Christmas lights inside the wrap to create additional warmth. 6. Disconnect all hoses and cover your spigots. Leaving water in your garden hoses makes them vulnerable to cracking and causing future leaks. Disconnect any watering devices and store them inside your garage. If you do not have any water faucet spigot covers, wrap them securely with an old towel. 7. Pool owners: Make sure your water remains running during the entirety of the freezing weather. Contact your pool maintenance professional to ensure your system is operating properly. While you may have faith in your freeze guard system, you must check your pump occasionally throughout extreme weather events. 8. Trickle your interior faucets. Leave your sinks near exterior walls running at a trickle with the cabinet doors open.
Diligence in planning and taking early action can save your plants and trees. If you wait until Saturday or Sunday to buy supplies such as frost cloth, burlap, and mulch, you will have placed your landscaping at risk. You need to take immediate action today to preserve your lawn, plants, and trees. Even with timely action, these extreme temperatures could still damage some of your landscaping.
About Highland Landscaping: Ian MacLean established Highland Landscaping in Southlake in 2002, where the company has earned consistent “Best of Southlake” recognition for excellence. Highland Landscaping offers complete CAD design services and complete installation for landscaping, horticulture, and irrigation systems. MacLean served two terms as Chairman of the Southlake Chamber of Commerce (2014-16), where he has also chaired Southlake Oktoberfest for the past 12 years. He also served a two-year term (2020-22) as chairman of the Small Business Council of the United States Chamber of Commerce.
