Title:
Keeping Plants and Trees Warm When Temperatures Drop
Description: This is
a VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
See text below
Text:
Florida, in the southeastern United States, is
called the Sunshine State. It grows more oranges
than anyplace except Brazil. But in January,
extremely cold air damaged some Florida oranges and
strawberries and killed fish at tropical fish farms.
The unusually long period of cold weather has shown
how even warm climates can sometimes freeze over.
But protecting plants and trees in the garden may
not be too difficult if you follow a few
suggestions.
Sudden cold can be the biggest threat, especially
after a warm period. Plants have not had a chance to
harden their defenses. Those that are actively
growing or flowering are at high risk.
Try to choose plants that live best with cold
weather, and plant them in areas that face west and
south. Being near other growth may also provide
warmth.
Most frost damage takes place at night. Ice crystals
form on the leaf surface. They pull moisture from
the leaves and keep plant tissues from getting
water.
Cold weather is most likely to damage or kill plants
that do not have enough moisture. So keep the garden
watered. Moist soil absorbs more heat than loose,
dry soil covered with mulch or vegetation.
University of Arizona extension experts say covering
plants and small trees with cloth or paper can help
prevent frost damage.
A one-hundred watt light bulb designed for outdoor
use can also provide warmth. Some people place
Christmas lights on young trees for warmth. The
bulbs should hang below the leaves to let the heat
rise into the tree.
Cold is especially dangerous to citrus trees.
Agricultural specialists at the University of
California suggest putting paper or cloth around the
trunk and central branches of young citrus trees. In
Florida, as temperatures fell to record lows, citrus
growers sprayed water on their trees to help prevent
freeze damage.
Jim Bottcher is a master gardener with the
University of Florida extension. He explains that as
the water freezes, it produces heat, and the ice
forms a protective blanket around the tree. If you
spray a tree, keep the water away from nearby power
lines. Heavy ice can form and break them.
You can also wrap a tree in palm tree frond leaves,
cornstalks or fiberglass. Adding plastic film works
well in rain and snow.
But experts say plastic alone does not help much.
And thats the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report. More gardening and agricultural advice is at
voaspecialenglish.com.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
