We have just barely dipped into winter and so far its not been too bad.
Living in southeast Kansas, we all know that can change in the blink of an eye.
Many people I have visited with believe we are in store for a bad winter and I, too, tend to agree.
Extremely low temperatures in November make me a little concerned about the damage that may have caused.
We wont actually know the extent of that until spring.
Of course, low temperatures can directly damage plants, especially those that produce fruit. For example, fruit buds of peaches and nectarines are likely to be damaged at temperatures from 5 to minus-5. Blackberries are generally damaged at temperatures near 5° though some of the newer varieties can withstand temperatures to minus 10. Some fruit buds of apple cultivars, however, can even survive temperatures as low as 20 to 25 below zero.
Are wind chills harmful to plants? Not really.
Wind chill has a huge effect on warm-blooded animals and their ability to keep warm. But plants do not respond to wind chill indexes because they do not need to maintain a temperature above that of the outside temperature.
So, a temperature of zero with a minus 40 wind chill, will not cause any more damage than zero-degree temps with a 20-below wind chilll.
However, the wind alone can dry out plant tissue.
High wind velocity can cause moisture loss from plant tissues and even cause enough loss to injure or even kill tissues, especially in smaller size wood, such as what is found in peach tree twigs, apple spurs and blackberry canes.
So far, we have had moisture on a regular basis this fall and winter.
If the moisture shuts off, many landscape plants may need some additional water to survive the winter. Any newly transplanted woody plants and evergreens should be high on your priority list for watering.
Water all of the area from the trunk to the edge of the outermost branches, and not just near the trunk. In order for the water to soak in, wait until the temperature is above freezing and the soil is thawed.
Landscapes have a tendency to be dark and rather drab this time of year.
