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Garden article about frozen plants
Posted: 12/12/2009
Cleaning Up After The Freeze
Most of us will find that last week's unusually cold weather has caused plant damage, ranging from mild to severe. Friday night's temperatures stayed below freezing for so long that even plants that were covered may show damage, particularly to actively growing leaf tips, flower buds and developing fruit.
The most important thing to remember now is NOT to prune your frost-damaged woody growth until the plant begins growing in the spring. Pruning too early can stimulate new growth which would be vulnerable to the next frost. Even frost-damaged stems can continue to help trap warm air. The damage usually isn't as bad as it might first appear and new growth can occur where you thought the plant was dead.
Soft tissue on annuals and tropicals has probably turned mushy and black by now. These plants can be removed or left in place to dry naturally. If your perennials have turned black at the tips, you may want to go ahead and remove damaged leaves and stems, which can harbor disease. Prune only back to living tissue. For more information on caring for your damaged plants, see this little article from the LSU AgCenter.
By the way, lots of the cold-season annuals made it through the cold just fine. Dianthus, snapdragons, pansies, phlox and violas all look beautiful. We have plenty of seasonal color to help replace what's been damaged or lost. Check out these beautiful kales and mustards!
This article was found in the Enchanted Garden Newsletter. For more information, go to http://www.myenchanted.com/
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