Yardenista

WINTER IS COMING! I get lots of questions about covering plants.....what to cover and how. Leave your native plants uncovered. Freezes give them a dormancy period that allows them to take a rest. Without this, we notice more diseases and pests. We all need a nap sometimes!

Cover or bring in pots. Plants in the ground get the thermal mass of the earth that keeps the temperature way more stable than a pot can. IF we have temps in the teens for a few days, the pot soil can get really cold and possibly freeze the roots.

Cover labor of love cold tender plants like veggies, tropicals (like ginger), fancy succulents or these Loquats which have set tiny fruits that can drop in a freeze.

We had a brief cold front that didn't affect most plants, but unfortunately it was exciting to Cedar trees. They released a round of pollen and now Cedar season has begun.

You're (probably) already sick. Allow me to show you why you might feel even worse starting today.

Cedar trees from Austin through the Hill Country have been silently building an army of millions of pollen pods on their branches. Those pods are just about ready to pop, and every cold front from here on out will shake the pollen loose.

We are currently at the starting blocks for cedar pollen season. The worst of it usually comes in early January, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if some cedar pollen spores showed up under the microscope behind today's gusty cold front.