Friday, February 3, 2012

Milder Winters May Mean Trouble for Plants

Milder winters may tempt plants to open flower and leaf buds too early, making them vulnerable to frost and cold injury. For fruits like blueberries, this can result in lower yields or crop loss.
While it comes as no surprise to gardeners, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made it official – we are experiencing milder winters in southeastern North Carolina. This recognition was formalized on January 25, with the release of the updated plant hardiness zone map. Milder winters probably sound like good news for plants and gardeners, but in reality they can create more problems than opportunities in our region.

In addition to flower and fruit loss, fluctuating winter temperatures can also result in cold injury to lawns and ornamentals. For warm season lawns, like centipede, mild winters can result in winter kill due to late season frosts.

Learn more about how winter temperatures affect plants growing in our region. Read the entire article on the Pender Cooperative Extension website: http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/index.php?page=news&ci=LAWN+168


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