Cover tender plants Monday night

Monday night’s low is forecast to fall to 31, so people who have already planted annual flowers or warm-season vegetables should cover them, extension agent Matthew McKernan said.

Houseplants that have been moved outside should be brought back indoors, he said.

It would take a low of 28 to do much damage to peach or other fruit trees, he said.

Vegetable plants that would be harmed by the cold include tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

“People can always cover the plants” if they’re concerned, McKernan said. Even covering a part of a plant, such as a branch of a tree, offers some protection. Just be sure not to weigh the plant down with a heavy material so that the cover ends up causing its own damage.

After Monday, the forecast for the next week calls for temperatures to rise above freezing at night.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Cover tender plants Monday night."