Should you bring your plants inside? That’s the question as a chill runs through Beaufort Co.

For the most part, as temperatures dip in Beaufort County, the plants will be OK.

Unless the area gets hit with a hard freeze, where the needle hits 28 degrees or lower for a few hours, Joshua Brown said there shouldn’t be too much worry about most outdoor plants surviving in the coastal Lowcountry.

Sure, citrus plants that require consistent warmth and sunlight, and are threatened by frost, won’t fair well. But according to Brown, who is a retail manager at LowCo Gardeners, many annuals and outdoor perennials — like perennial shrubs — will do just fine in the cooler months.

Beaufort County is lucky in that way. About an hour inland, Brown said the cold snaps are harsher and he’s already had growers bring plants that won’t last there before the recent frost advisory.

“I’ve had stuff in my yard that are technically annuals that don’t like the cold temperatures, and I had them in my yard last winter and we did have a frost,” he said. “But (the plants) lasted through and come back each year.”

Though the county is spared from some of the biting consequences heading into southern winter weather, if temperatures drop to 32 degrees and below, some plants can get frost damage to their leaves. It’s a easy fix: trim away the damage.

Gardeners can opt to cover the main landscape with a tarp, or they can dig up weather-threatened plants and put them in a pot either to stay covered outside or bring into the warmth. But time is of the essence when bringing plants inside, Brown warned.

To avoid getting insects indoors, he said to start prepping plants outside before bringing them indoors in the days leading up to a temperature plummet. Inspect the plant thoroughly for bugs before pulling it inside and, if necessary, use insecticide on the potted plant when it’s outside.

What if leaves fall off or yellow? Don’t fret, Brown said.

“That’s perfectly normal from bringing in a plant that’s been used to being outdoors all the time,” he assured. “It’s gonna be a shock to the plant.”

But as the area marches from fall into winter, Brown would argue this is the perfect time of year to plant. As the temperature becomes milder he said it’s a great time for roots to get established over the winter months.