A chilly weekend is about to hit North Carolina, and gardeners are already scrambling because some plants won’t handle the sudden drop well at all.
The quick shift from mild days to cold nights can shock tender leaves, leaving even healthy plants looking rough by Monday morning.
It’s the kind of weather swing that makes people grab old sheets, buckets, or whatever they have on hand just to give their gardens a little bit of protection.
Covering the right plants now can save you a lot of stress later, especially when the forecast keeps hinting at even colder nights ahead.
1. Tomato Plants
Cold weather can ruin tomato plants faster than almost any other vegetable in your North Carolina garden, making protection absolutely essential.
Even temperatures around forty degrees can slow their growth dramatically, while anything below thirty-two degrees causes visible harm to leaves and stems within hours.
Gardeners across the state know that tomatoes are tropical by nature and simply cannot handle the cold that comes with late fall weekends.
Covering them with blankets, sheets, or special garden fabric creates a protective barrier that traps warmth near the plant throughout the night.
Make sure your covering reaches all the way to the ground and is secured with rocks or stakes so wind cannot blow it away.
Remove the covering once morning temperatures rise above freezing so plants can breathe and receive sunlight for healthy growth.
2. Pepper Plants
Pepper plants share the same tropical origins as their tomato cousins, which means they suffer quickly when North Carolina nights turn frosty and cold.
Whether you grow sweet bell peppers or spicy hot varieties, all pepper plants react poorly to temperatures that dip below forty-five degrees for extended periods.
Frost will turn their leaves black and mushy overnight, stopping fruit production completely and potentially ending your harvest season early if left unprotected.
Using old bedsheets or frost blankets works wonderfully to shield pepper plants from the worst of the cold during weekend temperature drops.
Some North Carolina gardeners even place gallon jugs filled with warm water near their plants under the covers to provide extra heat through the night.
Remember to uncover your peppers during daytime hours so they can photosynthesize properly and continue producing those delicious vegetables you love.
3. Basil
Nothing says summer cooking quite like fresh basil, but this tender herb absolutely hates cold weather and will turn black at the first sign of frost.
Temperatures below forty degrees cause basil leaves to wilt and develop dark spots that make them unusable for your favorite recipes and pasta dishes.
Many North Carolina home cooks rely on their garden basil for pesto and Italian meals, so protecting it during cold weekends is worth the effort.
Covering basil with lightweight fabric or even large plastic containers can save your plants from cold damage and extend your harvest by several weeks.
If your basil is in pots, consider bringing them indoors for the weekend where they will stay warm and continue growing strong.
Alternatively, harvest all your basil before the freeze and make pesto or dry the leaves for winter use in your kitchen recipes.
4. Impatiens
With their cheerful blooms brightening shady spots all season long, impatiens have become a favorite flower for North Carolina gardeners seeking reliable color.
These delicate annuals originated in tropical climates where frost never occurs, so they have zero tolerance for freezing temperatures or even mild cold.
A single night of frost will turn impatiens into blackened mush, ending their beautiful display and leaving your garden beds looking sad and empty.
Covering impatiens with sheets or garden fabric before the weekend chill arrives can preserve their blooms for several more weeks of autumn enjoyment.
Make sure to drape the covering loosely over the plants without crushing the flowers, then secure the edges to prevent cold air from sneaking underneath.
Many folks in North Carolina simply enjoy their impatiens until the first freeze warning, then replant fresh ones when spring weather returns again.
5. Begonias
Begonias bring stunning color to North Carolina gardens with their bright flowers and interesting leaves that catch every visitor’s eye throughout the season.
Whether you grow tuberous begonias with their rose-like blooms or wax begonias for bedding displays, all varieties are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures.
Frost damages begonia tissue rapidly, causing leaves to turn mushy and flowers to collapse into an unattractive mess within just a few hours.
Protecting begonias during cold weekends involves covering them completely with frost cloth or bringing container plants into your garage or covered porch area.
North Carolina gardeners who have tuberous begonias often dig up the tubers before the first freeze and store them indoors until spring planting time.
For smaller begonias in pots, moving them temporarily indoors near a sunny window allows them to keep blooming happily through the cold snap.
6. Coleus
Coleus plants earn their popularity through their incredible leaf patterns that range from deep burgundy to bright lime green with stunning color combinations.
Gardeners throughout North Carolina use coleus to add color to shady areas where most flowering plants refuse to bloom or grow well.
Cold temperatures below forty degrees cause coleus leaves to droop and lose their vibrant colors, while frost turns them into blackened, wilted disappointments overnight.
Covering coleus before the weekend freeze helps preserve their beauty for additional weeks of garden interest and colorful displays in your landscape.
Since coleus grows easily from cuttings, many North Carolina gardeners snip off healthy stems before the cold and root them indoors for next year.
Potted coleus can simply be moved inside temporarily, where they will continue growing happily as houseplants throughout the winter months ahead.
7. Caladiums
Caladiums create magical displays in shaded North Carolina gardens with their heart-shaped leaves painted in pink, red, white, and green patterns that look almost artificial.
These tropical bulbs thrive in summer heat but begin struggling when nighttime temperatures consistently drop below sixty degrees in the fall months.
Frost instantly turns caladium leaves into transparent, collapsed tissue that looks terrible and signals the end of their growing season for the year.
Covering caladiums during brief cold snaps can extend their beauty, but most North Carolina gardeners simply let them go dormant when cold arrives.
After the first frost blackens the foliage, dig up caladium bulbs carefully and store them in a dry, warm location until spring planting time.
Some folks leave caladium bulbs in the ground in warmer parts of North Carolina, but this risks losing them to unexpected hard freezes.
8. Hibiscus
Tropical hibiscus plants produce enormous, showy flowers that make any North Carolina patio or garden feel like a vacation destination in paradise.
These stunning plants love heat and humidity but cannot tolerate temperatures below fifty degrees without showing signs of stress and leaf drop.
Frost will damage or completely end a tropical hibiscus plant’s life, turning leaves brown and causing branches to become mushy and unusable.
Covering hibiscus with blankets or moving container plants indoors before the weekend cold snap protects your investment and preserves their tropical beauty.
Many North Carolina gardeners keep their hibiscus in large pots specifically so they can move them easily when cold weather threatens.
Hardy hibiscus varieties exist that can survive winters, but tropical types must be protected or brought inside to survive until spring warmth returns.
9. Ferns
Many tender fern varieties bring elegant texture to North Carolina shade gardens but lack the hardiness to survive unexpected freezes without some protection.
Boston ferns, maidenhair ferns, and other tropical varieties commonly grown in hanging baskets will suffer significant damage when temperatures drop below freezing overnight.
Their delicate fronds turn brown and crispy after frost exposure, losing the lush green appearance that makes them so attractive in gardens.
Bringing fern baskets onto covered porches or into garages during cold weekends keeps them healthy and green through temporary temperature drops.
North Carolina gardeners with large landscape ferns can cover them with sheets or burlap to provide insulation against the worst cold.
Native ferns handle cold much better than tropical types, so knowing which variety you have helps you decide how much protection they need.
10. Succulents
Succulents have become incredibly trendy in North Carolina gardens, with their unique shapes and low-maintenance reputation appealing to busy gardeners everywhere.
While succulents handle drought beautifully, many popular varieties like echeveria and jade plants cannot tolerate freezing temperatures at all without suffering damage.
Frost causes water inside succulent leaves to freeze and expand, which ruptures plant cells and creates mushy, transparent spots that look awful.
Covering outdoor succulents with frost cloth or bringing container plants indoors protects them from cold damage during brief North Carolina cold snaps.
Some succulents like sedum and sempervivum are cold-hardy and need no protection, but knowing your plant types is important before winter arrives.
Most North Carolina succulent enthusiasts keep their tender varieties in pots so they can easily move them to protected locations when forecasts predict freezing.
11. Geraniums
Geraniums have decorated North Carolina porches and gardens for generations with their reliable blooms and easy-care nature that appeals to everyone.
These cheerful plants handle cool weather reasonably well but cannot survive hard frosts that turn their leaves and stems into blackened, collapsed tissue.
Temperatures below thirty-two degrees cause serious damage to geraniums, ending their blooming season and potentially destroying the entire plant within one night.
Covering geraniums with sheets or moving potted ones indoors before the weekend freeze allows them to continue blooming for several more weeks.
Many North Carolina gardeners take cuttings from their favorite geraniums before cold weather arrives, rooting them indoors to create new plants for spring.
Geraniums can also be dug up, potted, and brought inside where they will bloom happily near sunny windows throughout the winter months.