Christmas Weekend Deep Freeze

Due to extreme cold, Bates Nursery will be closed from Dec 23-29; we re-open Friday Dec 30!

Bates Gift Cards: always available and desired; email directly to recipient…now!

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THURSDAY NIGHT TO
NOON CST FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerously cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as
low as 20 below zero.

* WHERE...All of Middle Tennessee.

* WHEN...From midnight Thursday night to noon CST Friday.

* IMPACTS...These cold wind chills could cause frostbite on
exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Avoid outside activities if possible. When outside, make sure you
wear appropriate clothing: hat, gloves, etc.

Perhaps this is the worst that winter will deal us this winter.  Be prepared! There is no guarantee of that.  Low temperatures for the next two nights are forecast to be in the single digits.  One thing to note: Plants do not feel “wind-chill”, that is reserved for us mammals…without fur.  Do not let “wind-chill” forecasts overly alarm you with regard to your plants…but the wind does dry them out so don’t forget to water, when the weather warms early next week.

Typically the plant’s roots are protected by the earth itself.  This is very tolerable for most plants. There is one area of exception: Containerized plants. Since I covered this last week, I will not re-iterate.

Perennials deal with winter by letting the cold kill off the parts of the plant above the ground. The roots survive the winter. Trees adapt well. It's normal for some water to freeze inside tree trunks during the winter. Fortunately, all trees are completely dormant.

Conifers, such as arborvitae, juniper, yew, pine and spruce, don't lose their needles because they have so much natural antifreeze in them, therefore naturally resistant to freeze. Even though the needles don't drop off, they can lose moisture to the winter winds. Occasionally we experience browning on evergreens caused by desiccation (drying out of foliage).

I invite you to ‘Tune-in’ to, “The At Home Show”, on Christmas Eve!

Have a safe and warm holiday!

David Bates