Don’t prune your cold damaged plants!

Sometimes, even with watering, some rain, spraying and covering, plants become damaged from frost.

A gardener’s first reaction is to get out there and prune back any obviously damaged fronds, stems, or branch tips. No…. Stop!  And stop your yard maintenance people from doing it, too.  This is just the beginning of winter and the potential for more freezing nights is great. Damaged plant parts actually protect unaffected parts below.  If these damaged portions are removed, you expose the healthy tissues to the next frost or freeze.

Many frost-damaged plants will come back from the base or sprout from unaffected branches in the spring.  Plants that will not return are the summer annuals and vegetables. The best thing you can do for all of your garden plants now is to keep them watered until the rains come. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your damaged plants, contact any of our stores or send your question to gardenguru@sloatgardens.com.