[Rons Landscaping]

Originally Posted by Cunninghams' Home Services

The University of Florida is a very good source of information for plants and lawns. Ron was correct about turning off your irrigation system. Thank you Ron. From the University of Florida IFAS site: Turn off in-ground irrigation systems before freezing temperatures occur. Nurseries and strawberry farmers protect crops during a freeze by sprinkling the plants with water.

Sprinkling for cold protection helps keep leaf surface temperatures near 32°F (0°C), because sprinkling utilizes latent heat released when water changes from a liquid to a solid state (ice). Sprinkling must begin as freezing temperatures are reached and continue until thawing is completed.

Home irrigation systems are not designed to supply water in quantities ample enough to maintain a film of liquid water on plant surfaces, thus more harm than good usually results. Water soaks the soil resulting in damaged root systems plants break due to ice build up, and water is wasted. Furthermore, water restrictions do not allow this use in much of the state, and fines can be levied.

Also: Covers are better at protecting plants from frost than from extreme cold. Covers must extend to the ground to trap radiant heat and may need to be anchored with rocks, bricks, soil, etc., if is windy.

Ideally, the covering should not rest on the foliage, as it may be injured by the contact. Some examples of coverings are commercial frost protection fabrics like “frost cloth,” bedsheets, quilts, or black plastic. Gallon milk or water jugs can be used to protect small plants. Simply cut the flat bottom off and place them over the plants. Valuable plant specimens can be protected with temporary greenhouses constructed of wood framing and plastic sheets. The addition of a light bulb or a string of Christmas lights under a cover is a simple method of providing heat to plants in the landscape. Remove plastic covers during a sunny day or provide ventilation of trapped heat.



Source: ENH1/MG025: Cold Protection of Landscape Plants

Well said, I would just be careful using plastic bottles or plastics of any kind.