It looks like we’ll finally have our first real blast of winter. Starting Thursday night we have predicted lows of 20 degrees possibly with ice followed by 12 degrees predicted for Monday. Here are some helpful steps for protecting your lawn and landscape…If your city will allow it (you can find helpful links to check water restrictions here), water your lawn and landscape before the cold weather arrives. Watering traps heat in the ground which will sustain nearly all Dallas area plants through a cold snap.
If you can’t water, most of your plants should be fine since it appears we’ll have enough precipitation to help prevent damage. You should cover sensitive plants with a cloth sheet (old sheets make a great cover.) Don’t use plastic. Again the idea is to trap heat against the ground so plastic doesn’t help, in fact when the sun comes out it can make things worse by scorching the plant leaves. If you have pansies, they don’t have to be covered to survive, but covering will prevent their blooms from being damaged.
Finally, all cities in our area require a freeze sensor on sprinkler systems. If you aren’t sure about yours, the simple solution to preventing dangerous icing is to turn off your system.
If you need more help, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 972-495-6990, email me at [email protected] or fill out our contact form. We’d be happy to answer any of your questions about cold weather lawn and landscape care.