CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Much of the Capital Region is under a freeze warning in the overnight to early morning hours Thursday. This could create problems for newly blossomed trees and other vegetation.

“The cold can be dangerous to the apple crop, for instance, and we’ve lost that in some years in the past,” said Stephen DiRienzo, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Albany, “and I’m hoping we don’t see any damage to the apple crop, and other fruits and vegetables with this cold snap tomorrow morning.”

The sudden chill can also be dangerous to flowers and other plants. This is a curveball for garden centers during their busiest week of the year.

“It would be catastrophic if the frost did hit, with all the annuals and tropical plants and everything we have out there, the nice, fresh hydrangeas that just came in,” said George Vogt of George’s Flowers in Latham, “so we are planning on getting our team all together tonight, and we’re going to move everything in that we possibly can.”

Staff at Hewitt’s Garden Center in Guilderland had similar plans Wednesday.

“We’ll have to close everything up back here,” said Hewitt’s Manager Garrett Noel, showing NEWS10 the greenhouse, “and probably run some heat, just to be safe.”

If you recently planted some flowers outside that can’t be dug up and brought in, you can cover them with a frost guard, available for purchase at many garden centers. However, amid a freeze warning, they can be hard to find at your local store. Covering the flowers with a bedsheet is better than nothing. You should bring larger, potted plants indoors for the night if you are able.