Freeze watch: How to protect your plants

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch for the region over the weekend.

Unseasonably cold air will spread across the area Saturday night with temperatures expected to be below freezing. The watch is in effect from 10 p.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Sunday.

Unprotected outdoor plants will likely be damaged or killed. For more information on protecting plants, tune in on Saturday to “Garden Talk” with Mark Webber from 6 to 9 a.m. on AM 1290 and News 95.7 WHIO.

According to the Ohio University Extension Office, covers are most effective if they don’t touch the plants, and woven covers, such as bed sheets and blankets, are better than plastic or paper. It also is best to apply the cover in the late afternoon when frost is in the forecast.