by Pam Dooley from Plants Creative Landscapes
Georgia survived not one but two “Snowpocalypses” this year…but how did your plants really fare? Some of them might still be under the effects of the icy bouts even now that spring is coming.
The snow and ice might have been fun for you if you got to stay home by the fire…maybe not so fun if you were stranded somewhere else or got a major case of cabin fever. But these unusual bouts of cold were definitely not fun for many lawns, trees, and gardens that weren’t made to withstand such extreme conditions. Here are some startling metro Atlanta stats:
- Early January saw single digit temperatures ranging from only 4-7 degrees.
- The monthly average temperature for January was 37; this year, we were almost 7 degrees below normal.
- Unpredictable winter weather conditions are expected to continue for the rest of the season due to the absence of El Nino or La Nina conditions in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Gardeners should know that this absence makes it more likely to have late spring frosts.
Some plant damage will be easy to spot, but not all damage is obvious at first if you don’t know what to look for. Let’s review some common types of damage and how they happen.
Types of Cold Damage
- Low Temperature: Leaves and tender shoots subjected to freezing temperatures appear wilted. These tissues will usually turn black within a few hours or days. The tips of narrow-leaved evergreens, such as junipers, may turn uniformly brown. Broad-leaved evergreens, such as hollies, often have marginal leaf burn. Reduced flowering is common during the following season.
- Bark Splitting: Typically occurs near the base of the plant due to sudden changes in temperature. Sometimes irreversible, and sometimes the plants will wound over. Unseasonably warm weather during the winter or early spring can cause plants to come out of dormancy. If a hard frost then occurs, bark splitting damage is common, especially on azaleas.
- Frost Cracks: Occur when the sun warms tree trunks in the winter. Cracking is usually on the south or southwest side of the trunk but can occur on any side and runs vertically along the trunk. Young trees or older trees with smooth bark are the most susceptible. Protect trunks, especially younger trees, with paper tree wrap or burlap. Fruit trees are often painted white.
- Desiccation: Desiccation, or drying out, is a particular problem on evergreen plants. This occurs when water is leaving the plant faster than it is being taken into the plant. This type of injury appears as discolored or burned evergreen needles or leaves.
- There are precautions you can take to help keep plants healthy in the future, as well as ways to revive some plants if the cold damage hasn’t gone too far.
Protection & Resurrection
- Do not be in a hurry to prune or remove your damaged plants. Some plants may “play possum” and appear dead when they aren’t. Corrective pruning should not be started until the full extent of the damage can be determined.
- Injury to foliage should be visible within a few days, but it may be several months before damage to larger limbs can be determined. Wait to see if any live green foliage reappears, or gently scrape under the outer layer of bark to see if green wood is present.
- Once you have determined the extent of the damage, remove any dead wood. There is very little that can be done to revive plants suffering from the extreme effects of freezing. Watering cold-damaged plants that appear wilted will not help to revive them.
- Water plants during late summer and autumn to prevent them from entering the winter under drought stress.
- Avoid low spots that can create frost pockets and sites that can have rapid changes in temperatures. Flowers and leaf buds can be damaged when they are prematurely stimulated to open by warm days and then subjected to freezing temperatures at night.
- If you aren’t sure if your damaged plants can be salvaged or if they’re goners, contact a landscape professional to ensure the plants in your outdoor space are protected and allowed to reach their potential.
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