LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Early Tuesday morning, it was very cold here in Las Vegas.
In fact, we dropped to 29 degrees at Harry Reid International Airport, the first time we officially fell below 30 degrees since Jan. 2, 2022 over three years ago.
And throughout the valley, Las Vegans woke up to below freezing temperatures. North Las Vegas was especially cold hitting just 22 degrees.
It’s easy to forget that just six months ago, we had the opposite problem. Record breaking summertime heat taking us all the way up to 120 degrees on July 7, 2024.
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So in a city that experiences such drastic temperature swings, I wanted to know what we should do to protect our backyards.
According to Moon Valley Nurseries Landscape Designer Amarndo Martinez, the best thing to do is get to know what each of your plants unique needs are.
But it helps if each type of plant is acclimated to our Mojave Desert climate — both the hot and the cold.
At the Charleston location, a lot of the inventory is actually kept outside year round. This time of year, others are kept inside draped enclosures to provide some protection from the elements.
"Most plants that are subtropical will require some form of protection if we're below 32 degrees," Martinez said.
Here's what you can do:
- Drape a bed sheet or burlap material over sensitive plants at night
- In the daytime, let them get maximum sunlight
- Cut back on watering to avoid freezing the soil
- Add nutrients or vitamins to the soil to give your plants a boost
- For long-term success, let your plants get accustomed to the seasons of Las Vegas
Even though now our temperatures are cooler, Martinez said it can actually be a really good time to get plants in the ground.
"Plants like to stretch the most and grow the most in the spring, so planting in the spring is not ideal," Martinez explained. "Its actually better to do it like late winter, this way they're ready to go and have been in the ground for that gradual change. They don't want perfect weather, then 110 degrees."
