North Carolina is heading into a cold weekend, and the sudden temperature drop is hitting sensitive plants way harder than most people expected.
Those quick freezes can shock tender leaves overnight, leaving healthy plants looking wilted and damaged by the time the sun comes back up.
People are already grabbing blankets, buckets, and anything they can find to give their gardens a quick layer of protection before the chill moves in.
A little covering now can save you from waking up to frost-stung plants that won’t bounce back easily once the cold settles in.
1. Tomato Plants
Garden-fresh tomatoes taste amazing, but cold weather can ruin your entire crop in just one night across North Carolina.
Frost damages the leaves and stems quickly, turning them black and mushy within hours of exposure to freezing air.
Your tomato plants need blankets, tarps, or special frost covers placed over them before temperatures drop below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit tonight.
Remove the coverings during daytime hours so sunshine can warm the soil and keep your plants growing strong throughout the weekend.
Many North Carolina gardeners use old bedsheets or lightweight fabric to create protective barriers without crushing the delicate branches underneath the material.
Stakes or poles help hold the covering above the plant, creating an insulating air pocket that traps warmth near the ground effectively.
Water your tomatoes before covering them because moist soil holds heat better than dry ground, providing extra protection during cold snaps.
Check your plants early Sunday morning to make sure the covers stayed in place and no branches got damaged overnight.
2. Pepper Plants
Spicy jalapeños and sweet bell peppers bring flavor to your kitchen, but they cannot survive freezing temperatures without your help this weekend.
Cold air shocks pepper plants badly, causing leaves to wilt and fruit to become soft and unusable within just a few hours.
Covering your pepper plants with thick blankets or specialized garden fabric keeps them safe from North Carolina’s dropping temperatures through Saturday and Sunday nights.
Position the covers carefully so they reach all the way to the ground, trapping warm air around the entire plant effectively.
Gardeners in North Carolina often add an extra layer of protection by placing gallon jugs filled with warm water near the plant base.
These water jugs release heat slowly throughout the night, creating a microclimate that keeps temperatures above the freezing point for your peppers.
Morning sunlight should reach your plants once you remove the covers, helping them recover quickly from the stress of cold weather exposure.
Healthy pepper plants bounce back fast when given proper protection during unexpected temperature drops this weekend.
3. Basil
Fresh basil makes pasta and pizza taste incredible, but this tender herb hates cold weather more than almost any other garden plant.
Temperatures below forty degrees Fahrenheit cause basil leaves to turn black and mushy, ruining your entire harvest in North Carolina before morning arrives.
Bring potted basil plants indoors immediately if possible, placing them near a sunny window where they will stay warm and happy all weekend.
Garden-planted basil needs thick covering with blankets or special frost cloth that extends all the way down to the soil surface tonight.
Many North Carolina gardeners harvest all their basil leaves before the cold arrives, making pesto or drying them for later cooking use.
Basil plants rarely recover from frost damage, so taking action now saves you from replanting and waiting weeks for new growth later.
Consider starting fresh basil plants indoors during winter months, keeping them safe on your windowsill until spring weather returns to your area.
This approach gives you fresh herbs year-round while avoiding the heartbreak of watching your outdoor plants suffer from cold snaps.
4. Impatiens
Bright impatiens flowers bring cheerful colors to shady spots, but their tropical nature makes them extremely vulnerable to cold North Carolina weekends.
Freezing temperatures turn these beautiful blooms into brown mush overnight, ending their flowering season abruptly if you forget to protect them properly.
Cover your impatiens with lightweight sheets or frost blankets before sunset, making sure the fabric does not crush the delicate flowers underneath.
Garden centers across North Carolina sell specialized plant covers that work perfectly for protecting low-growing flowers like impatiens from unexpected cold snaps.
Some gardeners prefer bringing potted impatiens indoors temporarily, setting them in a bright room where they continue blooming happily throughout the winter.
Outdoor impatiens need covering for both Friday and Saturday nights if forecasters predict temperatures will drop below thirty-five degrees in your area.
Remove the coverings each morning so bees and butterflies can visit the flowers, helping them produce seeds for next year’s garden display.
Well-protected impatiens often survive brief cold spells and keep blooming for several more weeks once warmer weather returns to the region.
5. Begonias
Stunning begonias add elegance to any garden space, but these beauties cannot handle the freezing temperatures heading toward North Carolina this weekend.
Cold weather damages both the flowers and the unique leaves, turning them brown and soggy before you can enjoy their beauty much longer.
Potted begonias should move indoors immediately, finding spots near windows where they receive bright light but avoid direct afternoon sun exposure.
Garden-planted begonias need thick coverings made from blankets, burlap, or special frost cloth that creates an insulating barrier against freezing night air.
Many North Carolina residents dig up their favorite begonias before winter, storing the tubers in cool, dry places until spring planting season arrives.
This storage method works especially well for tuberous begonias, which naturally go dormant during cold months and regrow beautifully when replanted later.
Covering begonias takes only a few minutes but saves you money by protecting plants that cost quite a bit at garden centers.
Your efforts this weekend ensure these gorgeous flowers continue brightening your outdoor spaces for many more weeks of enjoyment ahead.
6. Coleus
Coleus plants dazzle everyone with their painted leaves in purple, pink, green, and gold combinations that brighten shady garden spots beautifully.
Unfortunately, these tropical beauties cannot tolerate temperatures below forty degrees, and frost will ruin their stunning foliage within hours across North Carolina.
Taking cuttings from your coleus plants provides an easy way to save your favorite varieties, rooting them indoors in water throughout winter.
Simply snip four-inch stems from healthy plants, remove the lower leaves, and place them in glasses of water near a sunny window.
Roots develop within two weeks, and you can pot these cuttings in soil, creating new plants that grow indoors until spring arrives.
Outdoor coleus plants need covering with thick blankets or frost cloth if you want them to survive this cold weekend in your area.
Many North Carolina gardeners treat coleus as annual plants, enjoying them through fall and replacing them with new varieties each spring season.
Either approach works well, depending on how much effort you want to invest in protecting these colorful plants from freezing temperatures ahead.
7. Caladiums
Heart-shaped caladium leaves create tropical paradise vibes with their pink, white, and red patterns that make neighbors stop and admire your garden.
Cold weather spells disaster for these tender plants, causing their beautiful leaves to collapse and turn mushy when temperatures drop below fifty degrees.
North Carolina gardeners should dig up caladium tubers before this cold weekend arrives, brushing off excess soil and letting them dry completely.
Store the dried tubers in paper bags filled with peat moss, keeping them in a warm, dry location until spring planting time returns.
This storage method protects your investment because quality caladium tubers cost quite a bit at garden centers each year when buying new ones.
Potted caladiums can move indoors temporarily, but they usually go dormant anyway once temperatures drop and daylight hours decrease significantly throughout winter.
Allow potted caladiums to dry out gradually, then store the pots in a garage or basement where temperatures stay above sixty degrees consistently.
Next spring, your stored tubers will sprout fresh leaves, creating another season of stunning color displays throughout your North Carolina garden spaces.
8. Geraniums
Classic geraniums bloom cheerfully in pots and gardens, offering reliable color throughout warm months with minimal care required from busy gardeners.
These popular plants dislike freezing temperatures intensely, suffering severe damage when North Carolina thermometers drop below thirty-two degrees this weekend.
Moving potted geraniums indoors before cold weather arrives keeps them blooming happily near sunny windows throughout the entire winter season ahead.
Garden-planted geraniums need thick coverings made from blankets or specialized frost fabric that protects them during both Friday and Saturday nights.
Some North Carolina gardeners dig up their favorite geraniums before winter, potting them and keeping them indoors where they continue growing beautifully.
Another option involves taking cuttings from healthy stems, rooting them in water, and growing new plants indoors until spring planting time arrives.
Geraniums root easily from cuttings, making this method simple and effective for preserving your favorite colors and varieties without much effort required.
Protected geraniums often survive brief cold snaps and resume blooming quickly once temperatures warm up again in your area next week.
9. Ferns
Delicate fern fronds add graceful texture to shady corners, creating peaceful spaces where you can relax and enjoy your North Carolina garden.
Many popular fern varieties cannot survive hard freezes, especially Boston ferns and maidenhair ferns that people love growing in hanging baskets.
Bring hanging fern baskets indoors before temperatures drop, placing them in bathrooms or kitchens where humidity levels stay higher than other rooms.
Outdoor ferns planted in garden beds need thick mulch layers applied around their base, protecting roots from freezing solid during cold snaps.
Add several inches of pine straw, shredded leaves, or wood chips around each fern, creating an insulating blanket that moderates soil temperatures.
Some hardy fern species tolerate cold weather better than others, but even tough varieties appreciate extra protection during unusually cold North Carolina weekends.
Covering ferns with burlap or frost cloth provides additional protection, especially for newly planted specimens that have not established strong root systems yet.
Your protective efforts this weekend ensure these elegant plants return next spring, unfurling fresh fronds that bring beauty to shaded areas again.
10. Succulents
Trendy succulents look amazing in creative containers and rock gardens, offering interesting shapes and colors that require minimal watering throughout the year.
While some succulent varieties tolerate cold weather, many popular types cannot survive freezing temperatures common during North Carolina winter weekends like this one.
Echeveria, jade plants, and aloe vera suffer serious damage when exposed to temperatures below thirty-two degrees, developing mushy spots that spread quickly.
Move potted succulents indoors before sunset, placing them near bright windows where they receive plenty of light without needing frequent watering during winter.
Garden-planted succulents need covering with frost blankets or cloches that protect them from freezing air while allowing some ventilation to prevent moisture buildup.
Many North Carolina gardeners keep their succulent collections in containers year-round, making it easy to move them indoors whenever cold weather threatens.
This portable approach lets you enjoy these trendy plants outdoors during warm months and protects them from temperature extremes throughout winter season.
Well-protected succulents continue growing slowly indoors, ready to return outside once spring warmth arrives and frost danger passes in your area.