How to keep your plants healthy in the cold

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Whether we like it or not, the temperatures are dropping.

"I know a lot of people get panicky when it gets cold because they all love their plant babies," said Izzy Dresler of Atlantic Gardening Company.

Remain calm. Do not panic. Dresler says there are ways to protect all of your plants.

"Make sure that you're keeping everybody warm. It's going to be a matter of do I have to bring them inside? Do I have to give them a warm blanket? Do I have to just give them a pep talk?" Dresler said.

If you decide to bring the plant inside, you'll want to take some precautions like spraying your plants with a solution that will kill any bugs.

"You hose the top down, you hose the bottom down. It's really important because a lot of bugs will get in where the leaves come out of the base of the plant," Dresler said.

If you can't bring the plant inside, cover it. Do it during the day, when the sun has warmed the soil, so you can trap the warmth. You can use a heavy plastic covering, a piece of fabric or some type of pot or basket.

But most importantly, as you see those temperatures drop, don't panic.

"We're all just winging it at the end of the day. You just do your best and the plants will be fine," Dresler said.

Keep in mind this is North Carolina. So while you may take your plan inside one day for freezing temperatures, you may want to move it back outside a couple days later when a warm spell returns.