Western NC gardeners, growers wary of cold weather

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Weather forecasters are calling for lows to dip below freezing in the next two nights, and that's leading to calls to keep an eye on plants and gardens across western North Carolina.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports (http://avlne.ws/117hwBF ) that lows on Tuesday and Wednesday nights will dip to 28 degrees. Master gardener Joyce Weinberg of the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Service said people who put out their plants because of the nice weekend weather may have a problem.

In Henderson County, apple grower Kenny Barnwell said he and his fellow growers should be safe this week. That's in contrast to last year, when a mild winter and early bloom was followed by a hard freeze.

Last year was the worst apple harvest in 57 years. Total losses countywide exceeded $10 million.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com