Winter Watering Can Help Your Landscape Plants Thrive

Tonight, the low temperature will hover in the upper teens. On the surface, that doesn't seem to pose a detrimental threat to most of our plants we have growing in the Central Alabama, USDA zone 7B. Concerns, however, arise from the fact that this approaching cold front is not preceded by a rain event. A couple of weeks ago our area had temps in the low teens to upper single digits, but, as typically is the case, there was a significant rainfall that occurred just before the front moved in. I'm of the opinion that our plants may have been in better shape heading into that colder weather than we are for this one simply because we haven't had rainfall in our area for a week or more. In short, plants that have had the benefit of rainfall or watering will hold up better against the cold than plants that are dry. The roots, stems and leaves of dry plants are more likely to suffer from the dessication that bitter cold can create than those that are hydrated. It's worth the time and effort....ummm, and the discomfort, to be sure your plants are not dry going into a extreme cold event. Believe me, I know, as I was hand watering this evening in freezing weather with 40 mph wind gusts. Certainly, most plants in our area won't perish with temps only dipping into the high teens, but there are some specific categories of plants that would benefit: 1. Plantings that have been in the ground less than a year. 2. Plants with a zone hardiness rating at or below what your zone is for your specific area. 3. Herbaceous plants such as pansies, evergreen ferns, etc.