Warm Winters’ Effects On Plants

The warmer temperatures this winter have caused plants to bud early.

UT Horticulture Extension Agent Lucas Holman said there’s no reason for alarm.

“I think it’s been the norm, I mean, we do have some issues that will be presented from warm weather such as peach orchards starting to bloom early and some of the daffodils leafing out early. I think this is kinda typical,” Holman said.

There’s nothing that you can do for your bulb plants, Holman added. The best you can do is leave them alone.

Over the past few winters, Tennessee has seen warmer winters with occasional cold snaps instead of consistent colder weather.

Due to dry summers and unpredictable cold snaps, Holman said this can pose a threat to farmers’ crops.

“Farmers that went out and planted their crop in some dry soil already, and then anticipated rain in the next few weeks and didn’t get it,” Holman said. “We had a lot of plants under stress because they leafed out, the frost killed back all the new leaves, then they tried to leaf out again with stored energy and they just really didn’t have a lot of stored energy.”

Snow can often times help plants and crops since it insulates the ground. Holman said plants have temperature growths which allows the plants and bulbs to remain warm.

Depending on weather patterns through the winter and spring, Holman suggested the first week of May is typically the best time to plant.