About Plants and Sudden Bouts of Spring
Whenever the weather warms up unexpectedly in early winter, some plants, like us, think: "SPRING!" and reach for the flip-flops and
shorts.
But alas, living our truth, :o) it's quite possibly that it is NOT going to last, right? But the tree buds anyway, the perennials start to wake up and the spring flowers hurry-up and all bloom at once - then the weather turns back to the normal cold and wet spring.
UGH.
Why is That a Concern, You Ask?
When the cold spring temperatures come back, it's the young, new growth that emerged,
thinking spring is here to stay, that is at risk of been frost bitten. It's now the most-tender part of the plant and needs protection from any sudden changes in temperature. It doesn't need permanent protection, it just needs help acclimatizing to the colder spring and/or if the temperatures dip too suddenly.
Frost cloth, burlap, bed
sheets, pillow cases, lightweight towels or similar will work. Cover it at night, take it off during the day for a couple/few days until you think the buds have been hardened-off. Make sure its watered well too.
If any new growth does get frost bitten during this Goldilock-Spring, most ornamental plants will recover. (Generally speaking, any
kind of fruit or vegetable may not, as the buds become the fruit later in the summer.)