Warm winter could leave some plants vulnerable

The National Weather Service in Pocatello is calling the 2014-2015 winter the warmest on record. But as temperatures continue to hover above normal, plant owners may need to take some precautions.

Vicky Kendrick, co-owner of Pinehurst Nursery and Floral in Pocatello, said plants planted last year may not have fully developed roots and could have a difficult time accessing moisture from the ground.

“It would be advisable to watch those plants because they — they’re gonna need a little bit of extra water,” said Kendrick.

Luckily, Kendrick most plants are getting plenty of water this winter and most are still lying dormant thanks to cooler overnight temperatures.

“If we have a lot of winds and it’s really warm, that would dry the plants out, but there’s plenty of moisture in the ground,” said Kendrick.

However, if temperatures were to get significantly warmer, Kendrick said it could trigger plants to wake up and sprout prematurely.

“If they bud out and then we had near-zero or single digit temperatures, it sometimes could freeze those buds,” said Kendrick.

Kendrick said this happens a lot to fruit trees.

High temperatures in the 50s and overnight temperatures in the 30s are forecast for the next week. Kendrick said these conditions are fine for most types of plants.