SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – As the temperatures are expected to drop into the high 30s overnight Tuesday, your outdoor plants could suffer from the cold. 22News spoke with the experts about protecting your plants when temperatures do dip down.

Sixteen Acres Garden Center in Springfield told 22News, that if you have plants outdoors, bring them in or cover them properly with a barrel, burlap, or plastic. You’ll find a lot of your annuals, like marigolds, don’t do well in the cold. While plants like mums, have the ability to survive in cold weather.

The nursery manager, Andy Grondalski tells us what to do with newly planted material like perennials, “it’s good to water it right up until the ground is frozen so it has adequate moisture going into the winter, to help keep moisture in the plant,” said Grondalski.

And if you have shrubs or broadleaf evergreens, he says to spray them with anti-desiccant, to help keep them from drying out as we head into the winter months.

Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on X @kayleighcthomas and view her bio to see more of her work.