Chilling and Frost Injury > Identify, Control & Disease Prevention Tips

Chilling and Frost Injury

Frost damage occurs if the plant stays in unacceptably low-temperature conditions for a long time. Prolonged or severe exposure to low temperatures can kill your plant, especially if it is a tropical and thermophilic species. Low temperature inhibits vital processes inside the plant, such as photosynthesis and water exchange.

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Signs of damage

1. The plant has slowed down growth and progress. The plant may also stop growing completely.

2. Your flower looks sluggish and drooping. The leaves darken, turn yellow and wrinkle, and lose their former color and juiciness.

3. The stems and leaves of the plant are covered with a crust of ice. The juice inside the plant has frozen, and the plant itself seems to be hardened.

4. Your plant's roots look sluggish. When a flower is open to low temperatures, its roots can rot.

5. The thick stem of the plant may become cracked. It is especially dangerous for ornamental trees and palms.

6. The flowers and leaves of the plant fall off.

How to prevent

Make sure to learn the suitable temperature range for the plant before growing it. Many plants die from hypothermia, even if they live in conditions that are comfortable for humans. Remember that there are plants that do not hibernate and, therefore, they need the same temperature and light levels all year round. You need to put the plants in warm places and monitor their temperatures regularly. If you are going on a trip, especially in spring or autumn, always bring plants from the balconies inside. At these times of the year, the weather is especially unstable, and your green pets might freeze.

Heal

You do not need to throw the plant away immediately, even if it seems it has already died. Put the frostbitten plant in a warm place and place a pot in a container of warm water (the temperature should be slightly higher than the room temperature).

Сover the plant with a plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect. Remember that after hypothermia, the plant will be very vulnerable to temperature changes.

If your flower is dead or its roots are rotting, you can try to propagate the plant using cuttings.

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