What Should You Do For Your Plants AFTER a Freeze?

Sometimes a gardener feels as if they're in a heavyweight boxing match: Your Tender Plants vs. Mr. Freeze. Your citrus, succulents and perennials that may thrive in milder climates might be able to take a frosty punch or two here in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valleys, foothills, and inland portions of the Bay Area. But several cold blows to the flowers, leaves, stems and roots? 

We aren't talking about light frosts, or temperatures that hover around 30 degrees (F) for a couple of hours; that would be normal; the possibility of a frost in Sacramento is anytime between November and late March. The most typical frost period here is December and January. Usually by late February, gardeners thoughts - mistakenly - have turned to planting warm season annuals and putting away the frost cloths for the season. What area gardeners are going through right now is several days of extended hours of below freezing overnight temperatures, with prolonged bouts of plant-killing cold in the mid-to-low 20's. 

So, what should a shivering gardener do...after a hard freeze, when temperatures are at or below 28 degrees for several consecutive hours? Should they:

a) remove all plants that look frost-bitten; 

b) prune away all freeze-damaged plant parts;

                   

c) Purchase and plant again this month those same varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals;

                 

d) Water the garden, even if the plants resemble toast;

            

e) Fight the urge to prune and plant by staying indoors, next to the wood stove.

The answers happen to be the easiest to accomplish on a cold weekend: d) and e).

If plants in your garden look blackened and wilted now, new growth may emanate from the base of the plant when the weather warms up in a couple of months.

New growth beneath the frosted branches of a geranium.

Pruning away the dead portions now exposes buds that may still be alive; another frosty morning could wipe out those survivors. Keep the shears in the garage and let the dead portions of the plants protect the understory.

 

 It may take until mid-Spring before you see new growth. Patience is key before you pick up the pruners. In the meantime, tolerate the ugly.

Make sure your garden and potted plants remain moist, especially if it isn't raining. Water gives off heat, and this can protect plants from freezing, especially borderline citrus trees, such as lemons and limes. Damp soil retains heat better than dry soil, protecting roots and warming the air near the soil.

Succulents, such as cactus, are the exception, however. According to the Arizona-based Desert Botanical Garden, most succulents survive freezing temperatures best if the soil around them is dry. 

It's dead, Jim.

Some of those dead plants may be summer annuals that survived our unusually mild early and mid-winter. This impatiens,  for example took its sweet time to croak. Mornings hovering around 25 degrees can do that to a summer annual. Put them in the compost pile; plant more in the spring, after all danger of frost.

Frosty the Ficus

What about those plants that have frozen past the point of no return? Should you replace them with the same varieties? That frozen ficus may be Mother Nature's way of telling you: "Hey! This ain't San Diego! Pick outdoor plants that can take colder temperatures!"




Oh, and keep your frost protection gear handy...just in case.

Hard Freeze Forecast? Here's What to Do.

 The National Weather Service has issued a hard freeze warning for many areas of Northern California for Saturday night - Sunday morning, January 13. 

Freeze Protection for Lemon Tree

Frozen Hosta

Here is that warning, in its original ALL CAPS glory:









THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SACRAMENTO HAS ISSUED A HARD FREEZE WARNING FOR THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY...DELTA AND NORTHERN SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM TO 9 AM PST SUNDAY.

* TEMPERATURES: MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER TEENS IN COLDEST AREAS OF THE VALLEY TO UPPER 20S IN LARGE URBAN  AREAS. DURATIONS BELOW 28 DEGREES OF 3 TO 6 HOURS ARE LIKELY.

* TIMING: LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: REDDING...CHICO...YUBA CITY...SACRAMENTO...VACAVILLE ... FAIRFIELD ... STOCKTON...MODESTO.

* IMPACTS: LONG DURATIONS BELOW FREEZING WILL KILL UNPROTECTED FREEZE SENSITIVE VEGETATION. EXPOSED WATER PIPES COULD BURST.
 
 PETS AND LIVESTOCK FEEL THE EXTREME COLD AS WELL.

A HARD FREEZE WARNING MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. 
THESE CONDITIONS WILL KILL CROPS AND OTHER
SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

Here's a last minute checklist for your home and garden if the TV weather people (or panicky bloggers) tell you tomorrow's low will be in the mid-20's:
• If it hasn't rained, water plants thoroughly, especially container plants.
 
• If possible, move sensitive container plants next to a south or west facing wall.
 
• Cover citrus and other sensitive plants with burlap, row cover fabric or sheets (be sure to keep the sheets dry). Tent plastic sheets over the plants; don't let plastic touch plant leaves. A light bulb placed in such a plant can offer a few degrees of protection. For best protection, sheets should reach all the way to the ground around citrus trees and other freeze-susceptible plants.
 
• If using an anti-transpirant polymer coating material such as Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover, apply at the warmest time of the day, or at least six hours before an expected frost. Read and follow all label directions. If using these products, thoroughly water the plant before applying.
 
• Disconnect hoses and drip lines, removing end caps. Lay out straight.
 
• To prevent broken grass blades, don't walk on a frozen lawn.
 
• Remove the lowest sprinkler head to drain.

Protect exposed pipes around wells and pumps

  



• Cover unprotected faucets and pipes, including any spa or pool equipment.



 
• To prevent frozen attic pipes, let lukewarm water trickle out of the indoor faucet farthest from the inlet. Also, let faucets with pipes running along an outer, north facing wall trickle during the night.  
 
• Open cabinet doors to get more heat to the pipes. Close the garage door if water pipes pass through the garage.
 
• Setting your thermostat nightly at 55 can add needed heat to the attic pipes.
 
• If leaving the house for a vacation during an expected freeze, turn off the water to the house, and open up the faucet farthest from the inlet. Be sure to turn off your water heater.
 
• To prevent cracking tile, run your pool and spa equipment during the freezing hours. 
 
• Don't forget about your pets during a prolonged freeze. Bring them indoors at night. Move or replace their drinking water. Break up any frozen water in bird baths. 

 




• Cover the worm bin, too!

November Frosts, Freezes Ahead? Probably.

 The typical Sacramento-area frost season (when temperatures dip to 32 or below for short periods of time) is fairly short: primarily, December and January.

 

 

However, November frosts do happen here with regularity. Freezes, too.

The earliest frost date for Sacramento was on a November 4, back in 1935, when the morning low fell to 30 degrees. The latest frost date recorded was on March 27, 1898, with a low of 32.

 

In 2011, a surprise cold snap on the morning of November 5 sent some areas in Sacramento County to freezing.

 Two years ago, there was a 2010 Thanksgiving surprise: the morning low temperatures in the suburbs of Sacramento dipped into freezing territory. 28 in Elk Grove. 24 in Rancho Cordova. 23 in Folsom. The temperatures in Rancho Cordova and Folsom stayed below 28 degrees for 7 hours that morning. That's a citrus-killing, perennial-punching hard freeze.

Freeze-Pummelled Pummelo

Not a Happy Hosta Thanksgiving

 

 

What is cold? Some definitions:

Frost: temperatures dip to 32 °F (0 °C) for short periods of time. Occurs with fair skies and light winds.

Freeze: temperatures at or below 32 °F

Hard Freeze: temperatures below 28 °F for several hours.

 Fruit-laden citrus trees could be threatened by very cold mornings in the weeks (or days) ahead. Some planning tips for the upcoming cold mornings:


Before a frost:

• Identify cold spots in landscape by monitoring with a thermometer that registers high and low temperatures.

• Identify plants at risk: citrus, succulents, tender perennials, tropical and subtropical plants.

• Have supplies ready: sheets or frost cloths, lights, wraps for trunks, thermometers, stakes or framework to hold covers off foliage.

• Prepare tender plants: avoid fertilizing and pruning after August to minimize tender new growth. 

• Plant insurance: In September and October, take cuttings from frost sensitive perennials; keep cuttings in a sunny, indoor area.

• Rake away mulch to allow soil to warm up during the day and radiate heat at night into plant.

• Monitor weather forecasts and note how low temperatures will be and for how long. 

Pipe Wrap: Cheap Frost Insurance

When a frost is forecast:

1. Move potted plants to a warmer spot next to house or under patio cover, especially on south side.

 2. Check that plants are well-watered since dry plants are more susceptible to damage, and moist soil retains heat better than dry soil.

3. Cover plants with a row cover before sunset to capture ground heat radiating upward at night, but remove covers daily if it is sunny and above freezing to allow soil to absorb heat.

4. Add heat by using outdoor lights: hang 100 watt drop lights or Holiday string lights to the interior of the plant. Use the old C7 or C9 large bulbs, not new LED lights which do not give off heat.

5. Wrap trunks of tender trees if hard freeze is expected, using towels, blankets, rags, or pipe insulation.

6. Harvest ripe citrus fruit. Generally, both green and ripe fruit are damaged below 30 degrees, but there is some variation by species (refer to the chart in UC/ANR Publication 8100, "Frost Protection for Citrus and Other Subtropicals").

7. Winterize your gasoline-powered garden equipment. Gas can go bad and screw up your engines if allowed to overwinter, unused. Drain the tanks or turn off the supply valve and run the engine until it stops. For containerized gas (or gas still in equipment) add a stabilizer. Run the engine for 10 minutes or so to make sure the stabilized gas is thoroughly mixed into the engine.

When a Freeze or Hard Freeze is Forecast (temperatures remain at or below 28 degrees for several hours)

  1. Wrap any exposed plastic water pipes; use a cover for outdoor faucets. Turn off the water supply to outdoor irrigation faucets, if possible. Allow those faucets to drain.

 





 

 

2. Disconnect garden hoses and lay them out straight...away from driveways!


3. Adjust your pool, spa or pond filtration timers so that they are running when the chance of freezing temperatures is greatest, between two and nine a.m. Moving water is less susceptible to freezing.

4. For dish-shaped fountains: Turn off and let drain to the holding tank below ground. Remove any standing water in the dish.

Frosty the Fuchsia

After a frost:

1. Identify damage: dark brown or black leaves and twigs.

2. Wait to prune out damage until after danger of frost is past, and new growth begins in spring.

3. Make sure the backyard birdbath isn't frozen over in the morning. Daily fresh water for dogs and cats is also a good morning habit.

After a Freeze, What Should a Gardener Do?

After several days of bone-chilling mornings with temperatures dipping into the low-to-mid twenties, should shivering gardeners:

a) remove all plants that look frost-bitten; 

b) prune away all freeze-damaged plant parts;

                   

c) Purchase and plant again this weekend those same varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals;

                 

d) If it isn't raining, water the garden, even if the plants resemble toast;

            

e) fight the urge to prune and plant by staying indoors, next to the wood stove.

The answers happen to be the easiest to accomplish on a cold weekend: d) and e).

Even if plants in your garden look blackened and wilted now, new growth may emanate from the base of the plant when the weather warms up in a couple of months.

New growth beneath the frosted branches of a geranium.

Pruning away the dead portions now exposes buds that may still be alive; another frosty morning could wipe out those survivors. 

The average frost season for Sacramento is about two months, primarily December and January. But temperatures below 32 have been recorded as early as the first week in November; as late as the third week in March.

So, keep the shears in the garage and let the dead portions of the plants protect the understory. It may take until mid-Spring before you see new growth; patience is key before you pick up the pruners.

Make sure your garden and potted plants remain moist. Water gives off heat, and this can protect plants from freezing, especially borderline citrus trees, such as lemons and limes. Damp soil retains heat better than dry soil, protecting roots and warming the air near the soil.

It's dead, Jim.

Some of those dead plants may be summer annuals, such as this impatiens, which took its sweet time to croak. Mornings hovering around 25 degrees can do that to a summer annual. Put them in the compost pile; plant more in the spring, after all danger of frost.

Frosty the Ficus

And what about those plants that have frozen past the point of no return? Should you replace them with the same varieties? That frozen ficus may be Mother Nature's way of telling you: "Hey! This ain't San Diego! Pick outdoor plants that can take colder temperatures!"

WTF? A Freeze in February? In California? Along the Coast?

 Areas of Northern and Central California, including the coast, may see record breaking low temperatures Friday through Sunday. If your local weather forecast is calling for morning lows below 32 degrees, here's a last minute checklist:


 • If it hasn't rained, water plants thoroughly, especially container plants.
 
• If possible, move sensitive container plants next to a south or west facing wall.
 
• Cover citrus and other sensitive plants with burlap, row cover fabric or sheets (be sure to keep the sheets dry). Tent plastic sheets over the plants; don't let plastic touch plant leaves. A light bulb placed in such a plant can offer a few degrees of protection.
 
• If using an anti-transpirant polymer coating material such as Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover, apply at the warmest time of the day, or at least six hours before an expected frost. However, research conducted at Washington State University concluded that these products may actually be detrimental to certain plants during a freeze. If using these products, thoroughly water the soil around the plant before applying.
 
• Disconnect hoses and drip lines, removing end caps. Lay out straight.
 
• To prevent broken grass blades, don't walk on a frozen lawn.
 
• Remove the lowest sprinkler head to drain.
 
• Cover unprotected faucets and pipes, including any spa or pool equipment.
 
• If temperatures are predicted to fall to the low 20's: prevent frozen attic pipes. Let lukewarm water trickle out of the indoor faucet farthest from the inlet. Also, let faucets with pipes running along an outer, north facing wall trickle during the night. 

• Ideally, add insulation to attic water pipes.
 
• Open cabinet doors to get more heat to the pipes. Close the garage door if water pipes pass through the garage.
 
• Setting your thermostat nightly at 55 can add needed heat to the attic pipes.
 
• If leaving the house for a vacation during an expected freeze, turn off the water to the house, and open up the faucet farthest from the inlet. Be sure to turn off your water heater.
 
• To prevent cracking tile, run your pool and spa equipment during the freezing hours.

• Don't forget about your pets during a prolonged freeze. Bring them indoors at night. Move or replace their drinking water. Break up any frozen water in bird baths.

Dead Foliage? Leaf It Alone!

 



When this...










 

Becomes this...









Don't be too quick to prune out the dead stuff this time of year. Lurking below all that dead foliage on geraniums, pelargoniums, alstroemeria and hydrangeas, there may be this...



 


New growth, emanating from near the base.









It's still winter; more frosts are possible. In Sacramento, there's a 10% chance of frost until March 23. And that dead foliage offers some protection to that new growth from freezing temperatures.

So, although the temptation is great to "tidy up" in February, give those plants a chance, even if you don't see new growth right now. Some perennials won't sprout new growth until mid-spring.

And "plant insurance" for tender perennials can be purchased in late summer-early fall. 

 

Start cuttings of those plants and keep them in a warm, well-lit area until planting time the following spring. Then, if that perennial in the ground does bite the dust, you have a quick replacement. 





A good book on the subject is The American Horticulture Society's Plant Propagation book.

Frost date range (10% chance) for select California locations:
 

Bakersfield: Nov. 20-Mar. 3
Chico: Oct. 30-Apr. 23
Eureka: Nov. 15-Mar. 14
Fresno: Nov. 7-Apr. 1
Lakeport: Oct. 10-May 10
Livermore: Nov. 3-Apr. 27
Lodi: Nov. 2-Mar. 31
Los Angeles: Jan. 2-Jan. 3
Marysville: Nov. 14-Mar. 16
Modesto: Nov. 10-Mar. 20
Napa: Nov. 9-Apr. 20
Nevada City: Sept. 24-June 4
Placerville: Oct. 22-May 18
Sacramento: Nov. 14-Mar. 23
San Francisco: Dec. 1-Feb. 9
San Jose: Nov. 23-Feb. 19
Santa Rosa: Nov. 5-May 1
Sonora: Oct. 26-May 10
Stockton: Nov. 5-Mar. 30
Truckee: July 31-July 27
Ukiah: Oct. 25-Apr. 29
Vacaville: Nov. 4-Apr. 24
Willows: Nov. 8-Apr. 23
Winters: Nov. 13-Mar. 27
Woodland: Nov. 5-Apr. 1

And for those that feel lucky, the frost date range when there is a 50-50 chance of freezing temperatures:

Bakersfield: Dec. 11-Jan. 31
Chico: Nov. 15-Mar. 20
Davis: Nov. 24-Mar. 4
Eureka: Dec. 15-Jan. 30
Fresno: Nov 25-Feb. 22
Lakeport: Nov. 2-Apr. 20
Livermore: Nov. 13-Mar. 29
Lodi: Nov. 16-Mar. 6
Los Angeles: rare
Marysville: Dec. 2-Feb. 9
Modesto: Nov. 29-Feb. 21
Napa: Nov. 26-Mar. 20
Nevada City: Oct. 15-May 17
Placerville: Nov. 6-Apr. 25
Sacramento: Dec 1-Feb. 14
San Francisco: Jan. 5-Jan. 8
San Jose: Dec 25-Jan. 22
Santa Rosa: Nov. 19-Mar. 25
Sonora: Nov. 12-Apr. 14
Stockton:Nov. 22-Mar. 1
Truckee: Aug. 16-July 11
Ukiah: Nov. 10-Apr. 3
Vacaville: Nov. 18-Mar. 19
Willows: Nov. 23-Mar. 14
Winters: Nov. 27-Feb. 17
Woodland: Nov. 26-Feb. 28

Post-Freeze Garden Tips

The average frost season for Sacramento is about two months, primarily December and January. But temperatures below 32 have been recorded as early as the first week in November; as late as the third week in March. This year, it was a Thanksgiving freeze, when temperatures plummeted into the low 20's Thursday morning, remaining there for more than 8 hours. Friday morning's lows also dipped into the 20's. And that's a recipe for definite plant damage.

 After several days of bone-chilling mornings with temperatures dipping into the low-to-mid twenties, should shivering gardeners:

a) remove all plants that look frost-bitten; 

 
b) prune away all freeze-damaged plant parts;

c) Purchase and plant again this weekend those same varieties of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals;

                 

d) water the garden, even if the plants resemble toast;

            

e) fight the urge to prune and plant by staying indoors, next to the wood stove?

The answers happen to be the easiest to accomplish on a cold weekend: d) and e).

Even if plants in your garden look blackened and wilted now, new growth may emanate from the base of the plant when the weather warms up in a couple of months.

Pruning away the dead portions now exposes buds that may still be alive; another frosty morning could wipe out those survivors. 

Hostas will get new growth from the base.

Parsley can take a freeze. Tomatoes? No.

So, keep the shears in the garage and let the dead portions of the plants protect the understory. It may take until mid-Spring before you see new growth; patience is key before you pick up the pruners.

Make sure your garden and potted plants remain moist. Water
gives off heat, and this can protect plants from freezing, especially borderline citrus trees, such as lemons and limes. Damp soil retains heat better than dry soil, protecting roots and warming the air near the soil.

 

Other frosty garden tips that bear repeating:
• If you still have cold-susceptible potted plants on the porch or patio, move them to a sunny spot indoors or to a west or south-facing outdoor wall.

• Another way to achieve a few degrees of protection: construct a tent around a freeze-threatened plant, especially citrus, using frost blankets or row cover material. Your local nursery will have several products that will do this job. Old bed sheets work well, too.

• The larger sized Christmas lights or a couple of 150-watt light bulbs located in the central area of an orange tree (or any other cold-intolerant shrub) may add two to four degrees Fahrenheit of protection.

• Harvest any citrus fruit that is ripe, especially on the outer
branches.

• Wrap any exposed plastic water pipes; cover outdoor faucets, as well.

• Adjust your pool, spa or pond filtration timers so that they are running when the chance of freezing temperatures is greatest, between 2 and 9 a.m. Moving water is less susceptible to freezing.

• Make sure the backyard birdbath isn't frozen over in the morning.

• Daily fresh water for dogs and cats is also a good morning habit.

And what about those plants that have frozen past the point of
return? Should you replace them with the same varieties? That frozen ficus may be Mother Nature's way of telling you: "Hey! This ain't San Diego! Pick outdoor plants that can take colder temperatures!"

 

Coleus, a summer annual here: It's dead, Jim.

From the garden e-mail bag, Rob asks: "A lot of my lantana was burned by the cold weather. Should I trim in winter or wait until spring?"

Lantana is from the tropics, so it is a borderline plant here.
A light frost usually just damages the outer leaves; but a heavy frost or freeze may kill the entire plant. The good news: it may come back to life with new growth from the base, but not until late in spring. In the meantime, do nothing. Those dead branches may be keeping the base alive.

Walnut Trees At Risk in November Freeze

As if protecting your citrus trees and tender perennials from an impending November freeze isn't enough to fill your day. Walnut trees, too, are at risk when the temperatures plummet to the 20's in November.

True, the walnut harvest is mostly done by now. But the walnut tree itself could be injured or killed by a November freeze if the tree hasn't entered dormancy.

Check your walnut trees. If you see emerging leaves at the shoot tips this time of year, your walnut tree is not in dormancy. 

A prolonged, late autumn freeze following a period of relatively mild weather (remember the 70's last week, including a high in the 80's on Nov. 16) sets the table for walnut tree damage to vigorously growing, non-dormant young trees. 

Trees that have been hardened off are less susceptible to damage in an autumn frost.  But in the winter, even dormant, mature walnut trees can be injured by extreme cold.

According to UC Farm Advisor Carolyn DeBuse, both types of cold damage (autumn and winter) show similar symptoms of darkening bark and streaks of gray on the inner wood. In the spring, buds are slow to break or fail to break altogether. In cases where the branch dies, the winter kill acts as a severe pruning and vigorous shoots grow from below the damaged area. Sunburn often accompanies the cold damage increasing the amount of injury. In the harshest instances, entire young trees can die.

The good news: this usually happens only to walnut trees that are drought-stressed or are in dry, sandy soil. The copious rainfall we have had this autumn may lessen the chances of frost damage.

DeBuse points out that a good precautionary measure to take after a frost or freeze is to paint the trunks of the walnut trees. This is effective in reducing damage to young trees after a November frost. Paint the tree trunks and primary scaffolds above the crotch with a whitewash made of white interior latex paint diluted with 50% water. The paint will help prevent sunburn and help heal the damaged wood by reducing evaporation from the injury. In a study by Wilbur Reil, Yolo/Solano Farm Advisor Emeritus, 46% of unpainted trees sustained cold damage while only 8% of the trees painted 8 days after the event showed damage.

And just as we've recommended before with other plants that get frozen back, Dubose says not to prune out damaged walnut limbs in the spring. The buds may be slow to open. Don't prune out any suspected dead wood until the late summer. And she suggests to reduce or delay any applications of fertilizer to your walnut trees in the spring where cold damage has been spotted.

Read about more steps DuBose suggests for reducing freeze damage to walnut trees here.

Thanksgiving Freeze Predicted. Is Your Yard Ready?

  Last week, we talked about strategies to protect your citrus trees from any expected mild frosts, when morning temperatures dip just below 32 degrees for an hour or two. 

     But what if the often predicted fall/winter freeze, when temperatures fall into the 20's for several hours each morning, settles into the area? The National Weather Service is forecasting overnight lows to dip below freezing, with many places just outside Sacramento falling into the 20's Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Thanksgiving) this week. What else needs to be done in the yard to prep for a prolonged freeze when temperatures are forecast to fall to the upper 20's for several hours?
    
     Many of us learned this drill back in 1990, when consecutive low morning temperatures of 22, 18, 21 and 23 in Sacramento descended upon us during the period of December 21-24. Temperatures did not get above 25 degrees in parts of the San Joaquin Valley for three to five days and all time record low temperatures were set at Sacramento, Stockton, and Bakersfield. Many records were set for duration of freezing temperatures. The agricultural industry was devastated as acres of trees, not just fruit, were destroyed. Thirty-three counties were disaster-declared.

     Homeowners learned which plants don't like it cold (hibiscus, geraniums and other plants popular in the Bay Area and Southern California); and, which plants were the hardy survivors (another reason the oleander was chosen for the Highway 99 median strip). 

     Here's a last minute checklist for your home and garden if the TV weather people tell you tomorrow's low will be in the 20's:
 
• If it hasn't rained, water plants thoroughly, especially container plants.
 
• If possible, move sensitive container plants next to a south or west facing wall.
 
• Cover citrus and other sensitive plants with burlap, row cover fabric or sheets (be sure to keep the sheets dry). Tent plastic sheets over the plants; don't let plastic touch plant leaves. A light bulb placed in such a plant can offer a few degrees of protection.
 
• If using an anti-transpirant polymer coating material such as Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover, apply at the warmest time of the day, or at least six hours before an expected frost. However, research conducted at Washington State University concluded that these products may actually be detrimental to certain plants during a freeze. If using these products, thoroughly water the soil around the plant before applying.
 
• Disconnect hoses and drip lines, removing end caps. Lay out straight.
 
• To prevent broken grass blades, don't walk on a frozen lawn.
 
• Remove the lowest sprinkler head to drain.
 
• Cover unprotected faucets and pipes, including any spa or pool equipment.
 
• If temperatures are predicted to fall to the low 20's: prevent frozen attic pipes. Let lukewarm water trickle out of the indoor faucet farthest from the inlet. Also, let faucets with pipes running along an outer, north facing wall trickle during the night. 

• Ideally, add insulation to attic water pipes.
 
• Open cabinet doors to get more heat to the pipes. Close the garage door if water pipes pass through the garage.
 
• Setting your thermostat nightly at 55 can add needed heat to the attic pipes.
 
• If leaving the house for a Thanksgiving vacation during an expected freeze, turn off the water to the house, and open up the faucet farthest from the inlet. Be sure to turn off your water heater.
 
• To prevent cracking tile, run your pool and spa equipment during the freezing hours.

• Don't forget about your pets during a prolonged freeze. Bring them indoors at night. Move or replace their drinking water. Break up any frozen water in bird baths.
    
    

Their is some good news connected with a possible freeze: populations of yellowjackets, eucalyptus-feeding red gum lerp psyllids and grasshoppers could be greatly reduced in 2011.