As North Texas periodically faces severe winter weather and freezing temperatures, it’s important to know how to protect your outdoor spaces. Here are essential guidelines for safeguarding your lawn and landscape during extreme cold weather events.
Key Actions to Take:
1. Water Your Lawn and Landscape Now
• If it has been a couple of weeks since the last rainfall, run your sprinkler system before the freeze.
• Moist soil acts as natural insulation, protecting your plants’ roots and preventing dehydration.
• Well-watered soil absorbs heat during the day and releases it slowly at night, providing crucial protection for your landscape.
• This is especially important for St. Augustine grass, which is particularly susceptible to freeze damage.
2. Protect Your Sprinkler System
• Good news: You don’t need to drain or blow out your sprinkler pipes. Unlike northern states, our freezes aren’t long enough to cause damage to properly installed systems.
• Turn off your sprinkler system during the freeze. While most cities require rain/freeze sensors, it’s best to manually shut off your system to prevent ice formation on sidewalks and driveways.
3. Prepare for the Freeze
• Cover sensitive plants (avoid using plastic sheets as they can damage plants)
• Keep emergency tools handy: a street key and water meter key. These are essential if you need to shut off water at the meter due to a pipe break.
Remember: When properly watered, our hardy North Texas plants and grasses rarely suffer significant freeze damage, even when temperatures occasionally drop into the teens or single digits.
Download Our Freeze Warning Guide
Let us know if you have any questions about protecting your landscape during this cold weather event. We’re just a call away: 972-495-6990.