Frost Expected Overnight: Protect Newly-Planted Annuals

The National Weather Service predicts widespread frost overnight through about 7 a.m. May 14.

If you, like many Northern Westchester residents, started planting annuals over the weekend or moving potted plants outside, you need to protect them.

Cover them with plastic, or trays or pots, recommends Bill Hawkey of Sundial Farm on Kitchawan Road in Ossining.

"You could slice open garbage bags and put rocks on the corners so they don't blow away," he said. "Even dig them up and put them in cups you wouldn't be hurting them. If that's not possible, mount up earth around them, they might get some soft growth damage but the roots would survive."

Planting this weekend was only jumping the gun a little bit, Hawkey said. 

The conventional wisdom is to wait till Mother's Day to plant annuals.

"But growers like me say, you're really not sure till the 20th of May. I've always stuck to that myself," he said. Plus, "this has been a cold and unpredictable spring."

The NWS predicts a low of 34 degrees for Bedford and Katonah overnight with lows rising to about 39 degrees overnight May 15 and low 50s overnight May 16.