Spring hits pause in Colorado Springs as freeze warning threatens gardens

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Spring took a brief step backward in Colorado Springs Friday as a quick burst of snow moved through the area, now followed by a freeze warning overnight that could put already-blooming plants at risk.

But experts say this isn’t just about the cold, it’s about timing.

“Usually you get flowers around the end of April, and we’ve had flowers since about the beginning of April,” said Sharon Harding Shaw, President of Harding Nursery.

That unusually early growth means many plants are already vulnerable.

“Fruit trees are flowering out. Shrubs are starting to flower. The lilacs are getting buds all over them, it's about three weeks ahead of schedule.” said Harding Shaw.

That shift leaves more plants exposed right as temperatures are expected to fall below freezing.

At Harding Nursery, crews have spent days preparing for the cold snap, moving delicate plants and covering others for protection.

“We’ve put as many of the tender plants in the greenhouses… and in the shrub beds and the trees we have covered them with frost cloth,” said Harding Shaw.

But she warned that even with preparation, freezing temperatures can cause lasting damage.

“Once a plant freezes, you can’t go back and do anything to it,” she said.

In the Deerfield Hills neighborhood, residents are already seeing the effects as snow melts off plants and temperatures continue to drop.

“I came home and started knocking all the snow off… without that, they’re gonna freeze tonight (Friday) and they’re gonna break,” said Southeast Colorado Springs resident Shadow Reed.

Even with the freeze warning in effect, experts say there is still time to act, but it needs to be simple and immediate.

So what can you actually do this late? Experts say keep it simple. Throw a sheet or blanket over plants, bring pots inside if you can, and focus on anything that’s already blooming.

Harding Shaw added that household items can also help protect plants.

“Even if you have buckets, you can turn them upside down and put over the plants so they don’t get crushed,” she said.

Fruit trees, especially those already flowering, are among the most vulnerable in a late-season freeze. Damage now could mean reduced or lost production this year.

“If the fruit itself gets frozen, it’ll fall off… there won’t be any fruit for the year,” said Harding Shaw.

Longtime gardeners stress a familiar rule of thumb.

“You never plant until after Mother’s Day,” said Reed.

If plants survive the freeze, recovery steps come quickly once temperatures rise.

Harding Shaw says by Sunday, as it warms up in Colorado Springs, you should do the following:

• uncover plants
• water once it’s above 40 degrees
• fertilize to help them recover
  

Harding Shaw also says moisture will be key for plants trying to bounce back after the cold snap.

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