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The Tucson Gardener |
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Too Cold Sensitive? It doesn't happen too often and it may come in spurts when a cold front passes through, but it does freeze in the desert. On occasion it might even snow in the valley which might cause a few broken branches on some of the trees. But the real concern is when old man winter blows into town and the temperatures dip down into the twenties. Many desert gardeners have planted trees and shrubs that can't really take the hard freeze nights. And that includes some of the citrus trees, especially the young ones. If you've got a Plumeria you brought back from your trip to Hawaii or maybe a tree sized avocado you started from a pit growing in a pot, the plants are usually portable and can be moved to a warm spot for the night. Often they're small enough that a cardboard box or other protective covering can be tossed over them to get them through the cold spell. If you're lucky or were knowledgeable enough to plant the frost sensitive plants in warm spots of your yard like next to south facing heat absorbing walls or under protective eaves, or close enough to the swimming pool you may not have to worry about those freezing nights because you planted in an area that offers some protection. Lucky you. Frankly, covering plants can be a pain in the posterior if you've got a lot of plants and if you're diligent and uncover them during the day and then recover them again at night.
Plant coverings can range from layers of newspaper to the old bedspread you saved instead of throwing it out or passing it along to Goodwill. It's best to support the covering so it doesn't touch the leaves of the plant you're trying to protect. You're trying to keep the plants warm so the covering should go all the way to the ground so the heat in the soil can radiate upward and warm the leaves of the plants. One of the biggest problems will be supporting the blankets and sheets used to cover large trees and shrubs so they won't blow away. I have frost sensitive citrus trees large enough that I have to join covers together and use clothespins. Unfortunately on windy nights many of the covers blow off and I have to recover the trees before the temperatures drop below freezing early in the morning. I've also tried lights under the trees to add a little extra warmth and have found one of the covers after a windy night with a big burn hole. I was grateful the tree didn't catch on fire, too. Covering frost sensitive plants, whether in your vegetable garden, in a pot or growing
in the yard can be a lot of trouble. The alternative is to make sure you plant only those
that can take the occasional desert cold snap. Or if you're fond of your Bougainvillea and
other frost sensitive plants then you'll have to bite the bullet every time there's a
freeze warning and cover your plants. Then again you can let them freeze, hope they
survive enough that you can prune off the dead material in the spring. For many gardeners
maybe planting trees and shrubs capable of surviving the desert cold is the best idea.(1998) |
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