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Flower bed cover next week?

Posted on 1/14/25 at 10:13 am
Posted by Crescent Connection
Lafayette/Nola
Member since Jun 2008
2293 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 10:13 am
With temps staying below freezing for 24+ hours next week in some parts of Louisiana, is it even worth it placing covers on top of my flower beds next week? It's a mix of pansies, agapanthus, and some shrubs. I feel like everything is going to die regardless of ground covers. Thinking about just spraying the beds with water Monday night and letting the ice insulate everything.
Posted by Geauxld Finger
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2005
32486 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 10:15 am to
What type of shrubs?

Agapanthus definitely should be covered if you want to try and hold onto them.

Your annuals are toast. May as well just let them die and replace when weather warms in spring
This post was edited on 1/14/25 at 10:16 am
Posted by cbdman
New Orleans
Member since Feb 2015
1263 posts
Posted on 1/14/25 at 6:43 pm to
How about Camellias.
Posted by Weekend Warrior79
Member since Aug 2014
20557 posts
Posted on 1/15/25 at 12:52 pm to
I have always aired on the side of caution and threw down a planket on my front gardens. The guy that set-up my garden laughed at me and told me to just let them battle it out and just replace them as they die, plus I don't need to worry about my boxwoods because they can survive the colds we get here.

But joke is on him, I already lost 1/3rd of my box woods to blight, and a few more look to be on their way out Waiting to see if I lose half my garden to a major plumbing issue (old cast iron) before I start planning on my next steps
Posted by Tree_Fall
Member since Mar 2021
1075 posts
Posted on 1/17/25 at 10:07 pm to
Camellia sasanqua should handle a few days in the 20s. C. japonica might survive as well but buds will freeze and drop. If you can tent your C. japonica, do so. I have a few of both types in my BTR yard. Some show damage after cold spells, but none have died.
Posted by whiskey over ice
Member since Sep 2020
3660 posts
Posted on 1/18/25 at 9:49 am to
I have about 20 agapanthus myself. Plan on making some little cylinders with 2 foot wide chicken wire. Will cover with some kitchen compactor trash bags to at least keep the snow off of them
Posted by Zissou
Member since Jun 2012
306 posts
Posted on 1/19/25 at 10:07 am to
I was thinking of covering agapanthus with 5gal buckets and a brick on top.
Posted by Shorts Guy
BR
Member since Dec 2023
481 posts
Posted on 1/19/25 at 10:08 am to
Not sure if it does anything, but for hard extended freezes I string Christmas lights thru the more vulnerable plants and cover them. The lights put off a little heat and I tell myself it makes a difference.
Posted by Fishwater
Carcosa
Member since Aug 2010
6019 posts
Posted on 1/19/25 at 10:37 am to
Zone 9A here. Baldwin County, AL.

I have a frost cloth I have put over my shell ginger plants to see if I can prevent the leaves from dying. If they do, they'll grow back in the spring.

Potted key lime tree, milk cactus, and croton plants are inside.
This post was edited on 1/19/25 at 10:45 am
Posted by whiskey over ice
Member since Sep 2020
3660 posts
Posted on 1/19/25 at 1:48 pm to
quote:

I was thinking of covering agapanthus with 5gal buckets and a brick on top.


that'll work too, I just didn't want to buy almost 30 5 gal buckets
im covering my flax lilies too fwiw
Posted by Bigdawgb
Member since Oct 2023
3202 posts
Posted on 1/19/25 at 9:34 pm to
quote:

How about Camellias.


Most camellias can handle Atlanta & zone 7 no problem. They are as tough as azaleas, Pittosporum, cleyera etc. If they're damaged you're going to have a lot of damage in general.
Posted by Gorilla Ball
Az
Member since Feb 2006
12765 posts
Posted on 1/21/25 at 6:24 am to
Every year we cover them and we still lose some of them. My neighbor owns a landscaping company and he said that usually they can come back if the roots aren’t damaged. To each their own about covering their plants.
If we had fruit trees I’d try to protect them. The agapanthus etc I’m not worried about.
Posted by Shorts Guy
BR
Member since Dec 2023
481 posts
Posted on 1/23/25 at 2:40 pm to
How did everyone’s strategy play out? I ran Christmas lights on everything sensitive to the freeze and left them covered from Monday evening until it got above 32 this morning. Most things appear to have come out just fine, but will take a few days to know the full extent of damage. The plant covers got blanketed in snow…I think it helped create a sort of igloo effect and held any little bit of warmth in.
Posted by cgrand
HAMMOND
Member since Oct 2009
46106 posts
Posted on 1/24/25 at 8:49 am to
I brought inside the ferns and small potted citrus everything else abandoned to its fate. I should have brought in two large potted bird of paradise and one large potted papaya but they were too damn heavy and I wasn’t risking anymore back pain. Obviously they are toast oh well

everything else that normally survives a freeze is fine. I’m amazed at the garden and the stuff like lettuce and similar that is unfazed by single digit temps
Posted by Trout Bandit
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Dec 2012
14801 posts
Posted on 1/24/25 at 10:18 am to
quote:

stuff like lettuce

I have all my lettuces and chard in pots which I brought under my patio cover and covered with a blanket. They ended up surviving just fine.
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