Growers scramble to protect plants from cold

Cold temperatures can be bad news for sensitive plants and some crops in low-lying areas.

“We lose some things every year, things that have just been freshly planted they are more sensitive to the frost then the plants that have been in your yard for several years,” says Paul Stetz, manager at Vintage Nursery in Bermuda Dunes.

“If we got severe temperatures like we’ve had maybe 6, 7, or 8 years ago, where it stays below freezing for 10 hours or longer, than we have a real problem,” says Stetz.

Growers are covering plants to keep them protected from frost.

“Even though the sun is out they are very cautious because of the weather, that’s been 27 and 37, so they are protecting all their beautiful vines and plants,” says Judy Vanderslice who was buying a vine plant at the Vintage Nursery today.

Some crops grown in our area are susceptible to cold temperatures.

“You’ll hear there thousands of dollars worth of damage to the peppers or tomatoes or what ever they are growing out there, in Mecca and Thermal right now,” says Stetz.

There are steps you can take to protect the sensitive plants in your garden.

“You can use a bed sheet or you can tent it with plastic,” says Stetz. “But you don’t want to lay it on top of the plant. You want to tent it up, if the plastic lays on top the frost gets on the plastic and you are still going to freeze across the top.”

Make sure the soil around the base of your plants is moist and, if possible, bring your potted plants inside until things heat up.