Protect Those Plants During Freezing Temperatures

DENVER (CBS4)- It's time to protect those plants from forecasted freezing temperatures along the Front Range.

Many mountainous areas in Colorado and elevations above 10,000 feet saw snow this week. Now the cold front is moving into the lower elevations and bringing below-freezing temperatures that could kill your flower and vegetable gardens.

If you have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or squash in your garden, harvest them on Wednesday evening. Even if they're not quite ready to eat, put them in a brown paper bag. The gases from the vegetables may work in an enclosed area that will help them ripen in a few days.

Cold season greens like lettuce, kale and cabbage can be left in the ground.

It's not clear whether annual flowers will make it through this latest cold snap. You can try to cover them with a sheet or light blanket and see how they fare.

There's also an important factor to consider: water.

"Winter watering is the most thing people forget. Things like shrubs and trees, even some of your perennials, they still need to have water once a week once every other week," said Denver Botanic Gardens senior horticulturist Brien Darby. "Lots of irrigation companies are blowing out sprinklers. Especially with the hard freeze coming this weekend, you'll want to protect your irrigation system."

Homeowners are asked to cover exposed water pipes with a blanket or towel if the sprinkler system hasn't been winterized yet.