AUSTIN, Texas — With the potential for temperatures to drop below freezing as soon as this weekend, it's important to be prepared.
Experts say plants can suffer irreparable damage if they're not protected.
Over at The Great Outdoors Nursery, floor manager Diego DeLeon said temperatures below 32 degrees can cause serious problems for your plants.
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"A lot of windburn and cold damage can happen on leaves," DeLeon said. "That can stress out the plant and outright even kill it if it's not protected enough."
DeLeon recommends using things like a Frost Cloth for large subtropical plants. He also recommends using something heavy like a rock to secure them so they don't blow away.
"Going to keep that warmth in cause that natural ground warmth is going to come up and heat that plant on its own," DeLeon said.
If you need to protect smaller plants, just bring those inside. But when it comes to trees around your home, experts recommend pruning.
Daniel Cranfill, an operations manager with Good Guys Tree Service, recommends pruning every other year. Winter months are especially important when there is a potential for ice to form.
"De-weighting the limbs, get some weight off the limbs because when ice accumulates especially with that weight weaker branches can fall and cause some damage," Cranfill said.
Another issue is having branches near power lines, which Cranfill said is a "no no."
"Especially over the power lines ... The ice can put a lot of weight and essentially cut the lines and lose power to the area, which is what we experienced last winter," he said.