The weather is never the same each season compared to previous years. Sometimes, it’s warmer than expected, wetter than usual, or even colder than predicted.
While trees and shrubs may seem pretty sturdy, brutal changes in weather temperatures and conditions can still cause them trauma and stress.
And just like you wouldn’t go outside wearing shorts and a T-shirt when it gets cold, your trees and shrubs may need some winter protection, too.
There are things you can do in Memphis and North Mississippi to protect your plants, including:
Let’s explore frost protection for plants further to better understand how winter plant protection can help your trees and shrubs during cold snaps.
Think Memphis and North Mississippi can’t experience cold temperatures? Think again.
A polar vortex, a large storm that sits in the middle and upper parts of the atmosphere, usually around the Arctic Circle, can send arctic air as far south as Tennessee and Mississippi.
According to AccuWeather, temperature drops could make 2025 the coldest January since 2011 across the United States, including in Memphis and Mississippi. For instance, North Mississippi will see temperatures that feel like 10 to 20 degrees or even as low as 0 to 10 degrees.
Frost can also be a problem when temperatures dip below freezing. Frost occurs at the same temperature as all ice, 32 degrees Fahrenheit. But frost can develop even if your outdoor thermometer shows temperatures slightly above freezing when cold air sinks to ground level, even if the air above ground level is a couple of degrees warmer.
Frost damage to your plants may look like a burn because the plant is technically damaged by ice. This can appear as wilting foliage or discoloration. On bark, it can look like cracking or splitting.
These weather variables make winter plant protection important since your trees and shrubs may not be used to these temperature swings.
Sure, in a perfect world, your weather would be optimal for your trees and shrubs, but that’s just not possible every year.
Unfortunately, a sudden temperature drop can damage many tender landscape plants.
But there are solutions to these weather concerns that can negatively impact your plants and cause winter plant damage.
Your plants may, in fact, just need a little bit of extra protection from harsh weather. These tips can help you keep your plants safe when Old Man Winter descends on the area.
Winter plant protection starts with some preemptive measures.
Protect your trees and shrubs by thoroughly watering them until the ground freezes. Drip irrigation systems are ideal to deliver the right amount of water to tree and shrub roots.
If your plants don't get enough water or their leaves are brown at the edges or wilted, Plant roots also need oxygen, which overwatering can hinder. This is why deep, infrequent watering is optimal for most plants.
After watering in fall and early winter, a proper layer of mulch can seal in that moisture and prevent frost heaving. Frost heaving occurs when soil thaws and freezes repeatedly, causing roots to lift above ground and become exposed to injury.
The ideal depth is a 2- to 4-inch layer. This insulates the soil and roots and helps prevent evaporation.
Since winter can dry, water retention is important for plant health care in Memphis and North Mississippi.
The fertilization part of plant health care in Memphis and North Mississippi, which happens multiple times throughout the year as part of your regular tree and shrub care program, ensures your plants have the proper nutrients they need to thrive.
Fertilization strengthens the overall health of trees and shrubs, allowing them to better withstand environmental stresses like winter cold spells.
One of the great things plant health care in Memphis and North Mississippi can do is prevent pests and diseases from infesting your trees and shrubs when the stress of cold weather hits them.
This happens when a professional monitors the overall health of your plants quarterly or bimonthly so they can identify any potential problems early and address them.
And in Memphis and North Mississippi, piercing/sucking insects like lace bugs, aphids, and scales are notorious for attacking plants that the cold can weaken. When it comes to diseases, root rot and bacterial leaf spot can infect plants when watering is out of balance.
Suppose temperature dips weaken your trees or shrubs and make them susceptible to pests or diseases. These problems can be caught quickly, and your plant health care professional can initiate a treatment program.
Protecting plants from diseases and invasive pests helps prevent damage and avoid deteriorating health. It also helps protect your landscape investments so you don’t lose valuable plants.
To help prevent winter plant damage, install plants that can tolerate the colder temperatures in your area.
For instance, Mississippi has four different USDA cold hardiness zones. When you select plants, look on the tag to ensure they meet the minimum cold-hardy requirements for your area.
You can plant the tenderest plants in the warmest area of your yard, usually in the south. You can also have them shielded by your home or other larger plants.
Young tree bark can be susceptible to sunscald, which occurs when sunny days dry out and burn bark. Water or ice froze on bark overnight, causing permanent, visible splitting damage.
You want to protect sunscald as part of frost protection for plants because it can make them more susceptible to pests and diseases, increasing entry points for these issues.
Young trees with thin bark are most susceptible to sunscald. Lightly wrapping trunks can protect your most susceptible trees. Just make sure to remove them when the weather warms up again.
Hungry animals like mice and deer love tender young tree and shrub bark.
They also need nourishment in the winter as they seek food. Your plants start to look attractive.
You can prevent winter plant damage with plastic or wire tree guards, which you can find at the garden center or hardware store. You can also wrap shrubs with burlap to help prevent deer munching.
Dry winds and sun in winter can dry out conifer needles and broadleaf evergreen foliage. This is called desiccation.
Desiccation happens when a plant loses water faster than its roots can replace it. It can happen when the ground is frozen, the plant's roots cannot absorb water from the soil or when cold temperatures and high winds dry out your plant foliage.
Evergreens are most susceptible to winter burn since they lose moisture faster than their roots can replace it from the frozen ground.
If you have evergreens in windy, exposed areas, consider building a windbreak to protect them from drying winter wind as part of your winter tree care. Wrapping shrubs in burlap in winter can also help.
An anti-desiccant spray for trees is another option to prevent this winter burn.
By incorporating these tactics and proper plant health care in Memphis and North Mississippi, you can protect your trees and shrubs from these rapidly cooling conditions.
While many trees and shrubs can withstand the cold, frost, snow, and ice can damage your plants, especially if they aren’t well-equipped for winter conditions.
If you experience extreme winter conditions, your plants can bounce back better when they receive the correct maintenance that keeps plants healthier.
You want to ensure you pick the right plant health care program for you and your landscape. Many companies offer multiple service levels. For example, Lawn & Pest Solutions offers three levels: basic, ultimate, and our 360 program.
Finding the right partner to help you keep your plants from winter stress and injury can be challenging. We hope these tips help you focus your efforts and better understand what you’re looking for as you seek a professional company to care for your beloved trees and shrubs.
Ready to learn why Lawn & Pest Solutions should be your choice for plant health care services in Memphis and North Mississippi? We’re excited to learn more about you and help you have the best trees and shrubs on the block. Get started today with a free quote. We can prepare a customized plan perfect for you and your yard.
Image Sources | Plant Pot in Snow, Frost on Plants, Arborvitae in Snow