I live in the Sacramento, CA area and we are expecting temperatures in the low 20s for the next few nights. This is very unusual for us which is why I need help! On the news tonight they were warning people to cover up their citrus trees but they didn't say with what. I went out today and picked all the remaining lemons because I didn't want them ruined but now I'm worried about the tree itself. It's a dwarf lemon about 4' high and about 4' around and really resembles a bush more than a tree as the branches go all the way to the ground. What should I use to cover is up? Would an old blanket work or would that be too heavy?
2007-01-10 14:22:23 · 11 answers · asked by Aunt Bee 6 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Blankets for this low a temperature. I'm not sure sheets would be warm enough. If you wish, cover with plastic.......loosely not tight, to stop dew or moisture from settling on the blankets.
Might be a good idea to throw something over the root zone as well. Remember to uncover when temps are over 32. Probably the coldest hours will be right around dawn and a bit afterward.
Plastic transfers cold wherever it touches the plant, don't use it.
The water is how orchardists protect their trees. The water freezes onto the plants and since it is just 32 degrees, the colder air won't affect the plants protected under an ice blanket. The problem is too much ice on the plant will break it apart.
2007-01-10 15:16:35 · answer #1 · answered by fluffernut 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I live in inland Australia. We get hot dry summers and winters that have the low 20's for just a handful of nights in the season. This is enough for the frost to kill young citrus.
I get my citrus successfully through the winter as follows:
Take a large thick newspaper and wrap it tightly around the trunk from the ground up the trunk as far as you can go. It the trunk is high put the newspaper on the next level overlapping in the middle. I find old stockings are a good material to tie them on with (flexible). Then around this again stack loose bricks or pavers around the trunk (all this keeps the trunk warm).
People get all caught up in preserving the leaves when it is actually the sap in the trunk that freezes and kills the tree. Cover the top as well with coverings but at these temperatures you will probably still get some leaf damage. If you get some frost damage on the top just give the tree a light prune to remove all the damaged areas in spring after frosts have finished.
I have found that these temperatures don't effect my mature citruses, I only have to cover them when they're young. Once the tree has a decent size trunk you don't have to worry.
You may find because you have lots of leaf cover this in itself may save the bush it will just be frost damaged on top, which is easily pruned off later. Good luck!
2007-01-10 17:33:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It isn't the actual temperature that freezes trees, it's the moisture that collects on the tree and then freezes. So, you need to put a moisture-resistant cover on the tree. A blanket or any other woven fabric would collect the moisture and it would freeze itself and actually make the whole thing worse. Picture wrapping yourself in a piece of fabric you put in the freezer. Use a plastic painter's drop cloth, one of those blue plastic tarps, etc. It can't have any holes on the top or sides where moisture might get through.
2007-01-10 14:31:02 · answer #3 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Frost Blankets For Fruit Trees
2016-12-14 18:53:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have citrus trees and when they were young I covered them by duct taping heavy garbage bags together...and the nursery people told me that was a BIG mistake.
Use a light blanket.......and if it's too heavy, make a small frame from some scrap wood.
Low 20's will be really rough on them. Expect frost damage.
Good luck
2007-01-10 14:51:43 · answer #5 · answered by Joey Bagadonuts 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take old blankets or any kind of blankets and cover the tree up...I live in Oregon and it is freezing and snowing and I have a backporch with 2 heat lamps and plastic covering around the windows and still covering mine with sheets and blankets....If you think a blanket may be to heavy use a sheet!
2007-01-10 14:41:56 · answer #6 · answered by Carol H 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
People usually use bedsheets (like a flat sheet) to cover their citrus and palm trees here in Florida.
2007-01-10 14:32:30 · answer #7 · answered by Liza 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the best way (don't be shocked) is to spray the tree. Get your sprinkler system on and make sure the tree gets some sprays during the night- it keeps it from freezing.
Nevertheless, if the lemons are off the tree your chances are very good even if you do nothing.
2007-01-10 14:34:30 · answer #8 · answered by Gil Amish 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
My goto for extra lemons is lemon curd, yet it is by potential of no potential vegan adaptable (or a minimum of no longer in any way that i could desire to morally enable myself to discover). you are able to desire to constantly make a huge ol' mess of lemon sorbet in case you had an ice cream maker... purely make an intense lemonade and drop it interior the ice cream maker. is going great in case you combine in some golden raspberries suitable on the tip in the previous you shop it.
2016-12-16 06:26:12 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Use the blanket if you feel better, but one cold night isnt going to do much damage to the tree.....
I live in michigan and they tell us to wrap the evergreens in the winter so they dont "burnt" by the cold wind...but i think...DUDE i put in the evergreens to have something green to look at in the winter, so why would i cover them????
Sure,. they look a little brown in the spring, but they recover quickly...your lemon bush will be just fine
2007-01-10 14:29:13 · answer #10 · answered by AA 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋