Care of Gardenia During Freezes

Collect all your discarded old sheets, burlap bags and old blankets in one area. Find out how many bushes you will need to cover and what the overall size of each one is. Include the measure over wire support frames or wood posts you use around the bush so the material covers everything without resting on any branches. The support frames should be taller than the bush so there is no weight on any part of the bush. Sew the covers into a shape similar to a pillowcase, with one opening on the bottom.

Water your plants, if you have enough time, about a day before the freeze arrives, and mulch over the watered base area. Let your bushes stay in the sun until the freeze is just about ready to roll in. Prepare all your wire frames or wood posts and make sure they are securely pushed into the ground surrounding each brush.

Slip each cover over every bush and the corresponding support frame. Ease the material over the sides until the bush is fully covered. If you were able to add drawstrings to your covers, pull the bag shut so it loosely sits around the base. Use safety pins if you don't have drawstrings, but make sure the pins are on the outside of the bag. Or you can use plastic ties to gather in any loose material.

Add enough mulch to cover the base up to the bottom of the bag. This will help to protect tender roots and retain some moisture within the soil. If the ground is dry when the freeze hits, the shock of the freeze on the roots will permanently damage them. The ground moisture helps to keep the soil supple and a bit warmer around the root system.

Remove the coverings once the freeze has passed and the sun begins to come up. The sun will help to warm up the bushes. If you leave them covered too long, they could suffocate with the heat. Spread out the mulch to allow for more sun and air to filtrate into the soil. Be prepared to recover the bushes if it will freeze the next night or day, too.