Spring Gardening Tips to Protect Plants from Future Freezes

Dear April,

Consistently warm temperatures are all I ask of you. Please don’t disappoint me; I have a lot of plants waiting patiently to be installed over the next few weeks.

This past winter’s freeze did a number on my foodscape, and while I had planned to reorganize it next year, nature had other ideas. The damage, particularly to my banana and papaya plants, moved that timeline up. That’s okay. Gardening, especially in subtropical Florida, is always an exercise in observation, adjustment, and thoughtful response.

Many of the fruiting plants in my landscape were gifted to me over time and installed around existing vegetation. Some of those older plants have been removed, and the severe damage to the papayas is the result of that change. The damage to the banana suckers was more intentional. I strategically planted them to act as windbreaks protecting my more expensive and cold-sensitive fruit trees, like mango, June plum, and guinep.

The banana suckers served as living shields, buffering cold air and breaking the force of winter winds. While the bananas suffered, the trees they guarded largely did not. They were also assisted by the 3-inch layer of mulch I keep around them as well as the very deep watering they received the day before the temperatures plummeted. This practice protected the roots of all my plants, also preserving the banana corms, so they could continue to fight long after the inhospitable temperatures had passed.

Now, several months later, I have banana pups ready to be replanted. This time, they won’t stand alone. I’ve also invested in a few dense, flowering native plants that will help strengthen the windbreak while adding beauty and supporting pollinators. This layered planting approach aligns directly with Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles: right plant, right place; attracting wildlife; and reducing environmental stress through smart design.

Maybe fruit trees are not your thing, but you have different temperature-sensitive plants in your landscape. The same practices will help them be more resilient. This is when many people remind me that they already have hedges and use mulch. However, those plants might be failing in their duty because they are unsuitable for the task, or they might be too old and need to be replaced. Another issue might be distance between the hedge and the susceptible plant. In those instances, it is best to add some plantings more proximate to the one you are trying to protect.

Along with everything else I had to think about last January, I was grateful to only have to make sure I watered my landscape to activate the cold protection I’d already planned and had in place. So now I am replanting and adding generous layers of mulch in spring to keep my landscape resilient no matter how many curveballs Florida weather might throw at me. Now, if only I can think of a work-around to protect my pipes during the next freeze—it’s a good thing we seldom have those temperatures for extended periods of time.

Nickie Munroe is an environmental horticulture agent with the University of Florida’s IFAS Indian River County Extension.