Protecting Plants from Spring Cold Snaps in Georgia

Georgia's spring weather is notorious: warm spells followed by sudden freezes. The average last freeze is March 27, but frost can occur as late as April 23. Here's how to protect tender plants.

Night-Only Freezes

If cold temperatures are only expected overnight:

• Cover tender plants (tomatoes, impatiens, basil, etc.) with light cotton sheets or cardboard boxes.
• Weight covers down with rocks or limbs.
• Remove covers the next morning when temperatures rise.

Day-and-Night Freezes

If freezing temps persist through the day:

• Avoid clear plastic—on sunny days, even below freezing, air underneath can cook plants.
• Use black plastic instead—shiny black reflects most light rather than absorbing heat.
• "Tent" shrubs: Drive a stake slightly taller than the shrub, drape black plastic to the ground, anchor edges with logs or stones.

Damage Assessment

Plant survival depends on:

• How low temperatures drop
• How long freezing conditions last
• Wind protection (walls, shrub lines reduce damage)

If cold lasts only an hour or so and plants are wind-sheltered, they'll likely survive fine.