PHOENIX — As the cold weather lingers around Arizona, make sure your plants are winning the battle with the big drop in temps.
Experts recommend covering your susceptible plants with a breathable sheet. At Whitfill Nursery in Phoenix, staff says some of the most commonly found plants around the Valley, that do the worst in cold weather, are hibiscus and bougainvillea.
"We're one of the fastest growing cities," said Matthew Whitfill. "So you have a lot of people coming from like Idaho that have no idea they need to cover stuff, they think this is warm. Then it's all dead."
If the frost has already damaged part of your plants, Whitfill says don't start trimming back the leaves just yet.
"The more you cut off today, the more you expose it to the frost tomorrow," Whitfill said. "If you keep cutting it back and it keeps freezing, you keep losing more and more of the plant."
Whitfill said once nighttime temperatures are consistently above 45 degrees, it's ok to start trimming the damaged parts of your plants.
