How to protect flowers, plants from late-season freeze

MIAMI VALLEY — With winter weather on its way and temperatures expected to drop, outdoor plants will need to be protected.

Potted flowers, plants and hanging baskets should be brought inside before the winter weather arrives, said John Scott with Knollwood Garden Center in Beavercreek.

>> Freeze Watch & Freeze Warning: What’s the difference?

“You really shouldn’t be planting annuals in the ground right now,” Scott said. “If you’ve got a bunch of geraniums or anything else in the ground, you’re going to have some real issues.

Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in a single growing season, so they’re planned every year, such as tomatoes, petunias and pepper plants.

Perennials, or flowers that grow back every year, like daylilies and roses, are at risk for damage.

Anything in the ground or blooming should be covered by cloth, such as burlap or bedsheets, Scott said. Don’t cover plants with plastic.

The entire Miami Valley is under a Freeze Warning Wednesday from 3 to 10 a.m., and a freeze watch is in effect Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Rain will transition to snow overnight into Wednesday morning, with accumulating snow expected for some.

>> Cold front to bring accumulating snow to Miami Valley tonight as temperatures drop

Cox Media Group