With freezing (and below freezing) temperatures predicted for this weekend, it’s time to do some preparation work to protect plants, pipes and landscapes. Here are some tips from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the American Red Cross:
- Make sure the soil around plants (not the plant’s leaves) is moist—water only when temperatures rise above 45 degrees or higher the day before a freeze.
- Turn off your irrigation controller or timer to prevent not only damage to your system, but also to prevent icing of driveways/streets.
- Leave a small trickle of both hot and cold water coming out of faucets attached to pipes most vulnerable to freezing (those located in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls).
- Open sink cabinet doors to allow heat from the home’s heating system to circulate around the pipes.
- If you plan to be out of town, set the thermostat to at least 55 degrees.
More information: www.rdcrss.org/1ObECQV;
Protecting Landscapes and Horticultural Crops from Frosts and Feezes (tamu.edu)
