ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – It’s starting to feel more like October with our first frost and freeze concerns for midweek.

And while a freeze is inevitable eventually, employees at Greenscape Gardens say it’s actually a celebration because many things can still go in the ground.

Looking at the bright side to the cooler temperatures, the experts at Greenscape Gardens say that while the air is getting colder the ground is still warm and cozy, making this the ideal time to plant trees and shrubs.

“So, fall’s a great time to get them in the ground. When we get those cooler night temperatures, it actually is pretty good for the roots. So, they get the signal from the plant to like, ‘Go ahead. You know, go ahead and start growing,’” Zach Berg, a certified arborist, said. “We get those in before winter, fantastic; (it) gives us a great spring, and then they’re already set up before summer. You know, they’re doing pretty good.”

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While mums should be fine, if you’re worried about anything in the ground, you could cover them with frost cloth or a white sheet. But the main thing is that it’s time for house plants to return to the indoors.

Greenscape Gardens is taking some precautions by tucking away its house plants and annuals into their greenhouses where they’ll stay nice and warm. Otherwise, they’re leaving their trees and shrubs out saying that they should be fine. They do have one recommendation though to ensure they stay safe.

“We do the one thing that we would recommend doing. Kind of water them in first. That water kind of acts a little bit like an igloo. The water freezes before the roots do. So, you can kind of keep them safe that way,” Berg said. “The worst that you can do is just kind of leave them dry because when they’re dry and cold that’s when the damage happens.”

Temperatures look to rebound to the 70s after a few frosty nights so tuck any annuals or pots inside during the cold temperatures but then they’ll be able to go back out when it warms back up, allowing us to get a few more weeks of enjoyment out of them while it’s still relatively warm.

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