Protecting Plants From Freezing in Phoenix AZ...

It's finally the time of year when you might see frost in Arizona. When temperatures drop to 32 degrees or cooler, you'll need to protect plants around your property. Here are a few simple tips to help prevent frost damage in Arizona and keep your plants healthy:

Landscape plants
Use bedsheets or frost cloth to cover frost-tender plants such as bougainvillea, celosia, ficus, hibiscus, Mexican fan palm, red bird of paradise and sweet acacia.

Fruits and vegetables
Cover with a bedsheet or frost cloth.

Herbs
Bring container plants closer to the house or cover plants with a sheet or frost cloth. Frost-tender herbs to cover when frost is in the forecast: anise, basil, bay trees, scented geraniums, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena, marjoram, nasturtiums, Cuban oregano, oregano, rosemary, thyme, peppers and chiles.

Fruit and nut trees
Cover the tree overnight with a sheet or blanket that reaches to the ground. Uncover after sunrise.
Loosely wrap the trunks of young citrus and other cold-tender trees. These wrappings - towel, blanket, cardboard or frost cloth - may be left on during the frost season.

Cactus
Use foam or plastic cups or cardboard boxes to protect the tips of columnar cactus or bloom stalks on agaves and aloes.

IMPORTANT! Plants damaged from frost? Do not prune damaged areas until the plant begins growing in the spring.

If you have a commercial property in Arizona that needs landscape maintenance, contact ProQualLandscaping.com to schedule an appointment and learn how to protect your valuable lanscape assets with the care of an Arizona Certified Arborist and landscape professional.