Cover your plants tonight

With a hard freeze predicted tonight (Central Texas). I want remind everyone to water and then cover your plants. If you have specific questions about this please IM me
 
Most plants should do fine with water however any tropical plants not planted needs to go into the garage tonight. Plants like hibiscus, roses (under 3 years) and palms should be watered and covered. Once it warms up a little mid 50's-60's all dormaint perennials should be cut back.
 
I've always wondered what covering plants accomplishes. Watering them keeps them from being stressed by dehydration, but watering them the evening before a freeze doesn't seem like it would be terribly productive. Then, I see plants swaddled in white cotton sheets and wonder what the hell that is going to accomplish. I'd bet some serious coin it has no affect on the temperature, but I've been wrong before. Is there some other benefit?
 
Nick if you're out in the cold, would you rather have a blanket or no blanket? Probably a blanket, and the plants agree!
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A blanket would be nice. I'm not sure that a sheet would give me much comfort. That's the part I've never understood. It just doesn't seem like it's worth much.

I'm not disputing any techniques. Only professing my lack of understanding.
 
Funny you mention that, but there is a king size down comforter in my bedromm all balled up in the corner. There is a new one on the bed. I axed the memsahib "what gives?" and she said that my mother had given us a new comforter for Christmas. I am in the doghouse because I said "********! you just gave yourself a Christmas present with my mother's money cause you picked it out without axing me and I didn't want one. I hope you enjoy the fishing rod I'm going to give you for Christmas."
 
RRH, in your expert opinion, do I need to cover palms in pots on a covered patio? Walls on 2 sides, screens on 2 sides, roof overhead. We put sheets over them. Do we need to? Thanks.
 
Covering up outside on a clear night helps reduce radiational cooling. Gibbs' laws tell us energy (heat) will radiate to an area of no energy (space). That's why, on clear nights, there will be frost on plants although the air temperature remains above freezing. Heat is going to, or attempting to go to, space, via radiation.

It's the same as the "heat" a campfire gives; very little is in the way of heating the air in an area; much more is radiational. Your face gets hot but your back gets cold.

This is separate from any insulating value a cover may provide.
 
I wonder the same thing. Now that we live somewhere that is frozen for months at a time, I don't understand the concept.

Hey, I was a history major.
 

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