The prolonged warm weather we have been having this November may be nice for outdoor activities but could be harmful to some plants.

That according to Duayne Friesen Golden West Radio's Lawn and Garden Host. He says this warm November has been unusual and there have been a number of reports of plants starting to pop back into bloom. He notes he himself has a few strawberry plants and a mock orange that are blooming, adding this may be a problem.

“This warm weather, especially the warm nights, it is preventing your trees and shrubs and some of your perennials from adequately going to sleep which they need to do for the winter and if they are not hardening off properly, growth is going to remain green and be very prone to freezing off.”

Friesen notes many of the plants we have here in Manitoba will be fine because they are hardy, but we will only know if the warm fall causes any damage next spring.

“I will use the little leaf lilac as an example where the leaf buds or the flower buds are starting to unfurl and it is going to make them very prone to freezing off over the winter, so if we can get a few nights of colder weather below freezing it will start hardening things off again and prepping them for the winter.”

Friesen says hopefully we can get the cooler weather before it gets really cold. Friesen says the high moisture levels we have had this fall shouldn't be a big issue for most yards but may cause flooding issues next spring.