Temperatures could drop as low as 25 degrees tonight and that is going to be bad news for flowering trees, budding plants and other shrubs with newly sprung sensitive leaves.
"Twenty eight degrees is the critical temperature," said Jan Beglinger, agriculture outreach educator and master gardener coordinator for the Genesee County Cornell Cooperative Extension.
If it drops below 28 degrees -- especially if there is no breeze and cloud cover -- a lot of plants could be damaged.
Beglinger recommends covering plants with blankets, burlap or newspaper (but not plastic, which doesn't provide any insulation), where and when possible.
Blooms and budding for plants have come unseasonable early, but Western New York is not officially out of winter yet.
"I knew when we had beautiful weather for 10 straight days, we were going to pay for it," Beglinger said.
Photos of the cherry blossom of the trees between the Upton Monument and the Old Courthouse. I figured today might be my last day this year to get any shots of the blossoms.
If you would like more
If you would like more information on how to protect your plants, there are several articles (from various universities) posted on the Genesee County Master Gardener web page at http://genesee.shutterfly.com/gardening under "Frost Damage".
Thanks, Jan.
Thanks, Jan.
The worst thing is what could
The worst thing is what could happen to the fruit crops in the area.