Q. Before the first freeze here in Las Vegas, probably in
3-1/2 weeks, what may I feed them? Might
there be something simple, without figuring amounts and all kinds of mixing? I
have three plants, all in the ground.
They are six years old this year, and I wrap their bases before the
freeze. They always come back come March/April, and bloom beautifully in
August/September through October – when the real heat hits.
A. I like your idea of wrapping the bases of the plants
before any freeze. Unless you have a very warm microclimate in your yard, and
there are some of those in Las Vegas, you will see damage to them at the first light
freeze with temperatures below 32° F. The harder the freeze and the longer it lasts, the more severe the damage.
Wood mulches will also protect the base
of bougainvillea but wrapping it is more effective. This way when it freezes it
will kill the top of the bougainvillea to the top of the mulch or wrap and not any
further.
Of course this works to temperatures below freezing for short periods of time. If the temperatures are extremely cold, or if these temperatures last a long time, then it will freeze the plant to the ground. How well you protect the base of the plant will determine how strong it will come back, or not, next spring. Having bougainvillea in a spot in the yard which does not have a lot of wind and is very close to a warm, South or even better yet, West-facing wall will improve its chances for survival.
Bougainvillea after freezing weather in Las Vegas |
Of course this works to temperatures below freezing for short periods of time. If the temperatures are extremely cold, or if these temperatures last a long time, then it will freeze the plant to the ground. How well you protect the base of the plant will determine how strong it will come back, or not, next spring. Having bougainvillea in a spot in the yard which does not have a lot of wind and is very close to a warm, South or even better yet, West-facing wall will improve its chances for survival.
Freeze damage hits the youngest and thinnest plant parts first during a light freeze and the part of the plant most exposed to wind and less protected by warm south or west facing walls |
Plants that freeze to the ground will come back like
gangbusters next spring because of their established root system. Plants that
are first planted have to grow both the roots and the tops and so
growth is divided between the two. Plants that have an established root system
and freeze to the ground only have to grow the top back. So all of the spring growth is funneled to top growth so
we see huge amounts of top growth in the spring.
Spring recover of oleander from a winter freeze |
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