GREENSBORO, N.C. — Warm, one day. Cold another. Landscapers say the recent fluctuating temperatures can impact your lawn.
With the first day of Spring right around the corner, business for New Garden Landscaping and Nursery in Greensboro is soon to ramp up. General Manager Skylar Wood of the retail location said this year's unseasonably warm winter may cause some plants to start growing early. She said this is a cause of concern for many reasons.
"North Carolina is notorious for a late-season cold snap,” Wood said. “When these plants break their dormancy stage, it stresses your plants and your lawns. So, any attempts at growth in the cold air will suck the nutrients out of your soil. It can't be replaced after this. This is where you'll notice a lack of new growth in your perennials and dead spots in your lawn later in the season."
Wood said early season growth combined with moisture is a breeding ground for disease. This includes redbud dieback, boxwood blight, and rose rosette disease.
“This early in the season, most lawns and plants aren't prepared to handle it this early,” Wood said. “Trees and shrubs, especially flowering trees and shrubs, fruit trees they may push their blooms early. Once a cold front hits, you'll lose all those blooms resulting in fewer blooms in the Spring."
As temperatures continue to fluctuate, Wood asks consumers to try to wait for the last frost before planting in their gardens and lawns.
“The concern there is that customers may make these late Winter purchases because we are still in Winter and then they plant these products too early,” Wood said. “This may stress your plant products and prevent future growth. We don't want to cause any plant death, or anything like that when you invest in your yard."
Wood said when a cold front is in the forecast, be sure to cover plants or any blooms that may be already producing.