Freeze Warning Overnight: How to Protect Your Plants

UPDATED at 3:45 p.m. If you still have vegetables in your garden, Saturday is the day to harvest them before temperatures in Maryland and Virginia drop below freezing late Saturday night into Sunday morning, killing off many blooming flowers and other plants.

Much of the state will be under a freeze warning starting at 10 p.m. Saturday until 9 a.m. Sunday, says the National Weather Service. Expect low temperatures to drop into the upper 20s to the lower 30s Saturday night, the weather service said. Temperatures will be warmer in Baltimore and Washington, DC. And next week it warms up again.

Counties in the freeze watch area include: Baltimore, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Charles, St. Mary’s, Calvert, Montgomery, Howard, and Harford.

The weather service says cities in the alerts include: Washington, DC, Baltimore, Bowie, Suitland-Silver Hill, Clinton, College Park, Greenbelt, Laurel, Camp Springs, Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Severn, South Gate, Severna Park, Arnold, Odenton, Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Columbia, Ellicott City, and Aberdeen.

In Virginia, communities in the warning area include: Prince Frederick, Reston, Herndon, Annandale, Centreville, Chantilly, Mclean, Franconia, Arlington and Alexandria.

The Weather Service warns: “A freeze watch means sub-freezing temperatures are imminent or highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.”

If you're a gardener, then you've harvested most of your bounty by now, but there are several frost hardy plants that can survive even if the overnight temperatures drop to 28 degrees. So, leeks, scallions, chives, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, parsley, beets, carrots, winter squash, pumpkins and sage should be OK, according to the Vegetable Gardener website.

Here are some steps you can take when a frost or freeze threatens, according to TodaysHomeowner.com.

• Bring Indoors: Frost-tender plants in containers should be brought inside during cold weather. Dig up tender bulbs and store them in a cool dry place.
• Water Plants: Water plants thoroughly before a freeze to prevent desiccation and to add insulating water to the soil and plant cells.
• Protect Tender Sprouts: Cover tender plants overnight with an inverted bucket or flower pot, or with a layer of mulch. Be sure to uncover them in the morning when the temperature rises above freezing.
• Cover Shrubs and Trees: Larger plants can be covered with fabric, old bed sheets, burlap, or commercial frost cloths (avoid using plastic). For best results, drape the cover over a frame to keep it from touching the foliage. Fabric covers help to trap heat from the soil, so make sure your cover drapes to the ground. Uncover them in the morning when the temperature rises above freezing.

Here's a look at the coming week's weather forecast, from the National Weather Service:

• Saturday night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s. West winds around 5 mph.
• Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. West winds around 5 mph.
• Sunday night: Mostly clear. Lows around 40.
• Monday: A slight chance of showers after 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
• Monday night: A chance of showers after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tuesday: A chance of showers before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
• Tuesday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.
• Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61.

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