How and why to protect your plants from the cold in Phoenix, Arizona

If you're in the Phoenix, Arizona area, or any desert city, you may be surprised at how cold it can get overnight in winter. No, I'm not talking about ice and snow, but I am talking about the kind of conditions that can damage, and even kill some plants. Chances are that none of the plants in your garden need any kind of protection, but just to be sure, go Google them with the term "hardiness", which is how low a temperature a certain plant can take.

My motto is "better safe than sorry", so if there's a freeze warning I go into my garage and find an old bedsheet and cover up plants that might be sensitive to the cold. There's no need to pay money for a "frost cloth", but just be sure to never use anything plastic. Old bedsheets and towels are what I use.

Like I say, unless you've planted some unusual tropical plants, chances are very good that you'll never need to this. It rarely gets very cold here in the desert, and when it does it doesn't last for very long. But it does tend to dip below freezing here, and sometimes it can be that way for a very long time before the sun comes up. And that's the next thing:

Take the frost protection off of your plants when the sun comes up. I only have tender tropicals in my backyard, so once the sun is up, even if it's still kinda cold, let the sun touch your plant. Don't just put a frost cloth on at the beginning of winter and forget about it until spring!

Some plants can be frost-sensitive when they're very young, so don't be afraid to cover them up. It certainly won't harm them to cover them, and well, you know, "better safe than sorry!" Yes, it's a lot of work to do, but that's what a garden is, a labor of love.

By the way, you really don't need to do this when it's raining, or cloudy. But clear cold nights can be very harsh, so if you see stars, cover up.

Take care of those babies!