- Low temperatures this week can cause palm trees to freeze
- Can protect them by using Christmas lights and towels
- Bring other sensitive plants indoors
The temperatures in the Coastal Bend this week are low enough to cause major harm to palm trees and outdoor plants.
One Padre Island resident cracked the code on how to protect her palm trees and plants. The secret is Christmas lights and beach towels.
"This palm tree, I had Christmas lights wrapped around it already," Padre Island resident Sonya Becker said. "I put some more Christmas lights around it. I wrapped it in a beach towel, then I used the frost protection and I’m trying for the first year; trying to see if I can protect the leaves. So, I have the palm tree protection on there and then I have more towels wrapped around that.”
Regular, non-LED Christmas lights heat up to about 60 to 65 degrees, which is the perfect temperature to protect the heart of the palm tree. The leaves on one of Becker's trees froze, but she isn't too worried about the leaves. She is more concerned about protecting the heart of the palm.
"I’m hoping with everything that’s on there that it might come back. If it doesn’t, I’ll just lose the palm leaves but the palm tree is still warm," Becker said.
It doesn't stop with just the palm trees. She is also taking the steps to look out for her other smaller plants.
"Some of them are under a heat lamp or a grow light at least to give them some sun," Becker said.
She brought some of the really sensitive plants inside for a few days.
Becker recommends other people take these precautions to protect their palm trees and outdoor plants too because temperatures will be below freezing again on Tuesday.
“The blankets work, but unless you have warmth in there, you’re just, you know, kind of trying to protect them. But the warmth actually really helps them," Becker said.
Blankets, towels, and sheets all work to protect the palm trees.
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