Each enclosure was built around a Meyers lemon citrus tree for weather protection. This is a detailed process beginning with extensive pruning of each tree, placing large containers then filling with water (35-gallon each), wrapping trees with multiple layers of burlap, placing 4 by 8-foot wood lattice panel above the t-posts (securely fastening with tie wraps), and completing the enclosure using a 20 by 30-foot tarp (securing with rope) and duct tape (image: John Green).
By John Green, Texas Certified Expert Gardener, Orange County TX
The coldest winter weather of the season has now come and gone with warmer weather to remain! Gardeners, we now must deal with the aftermath of having multiple days and nights of frigid, sub-freezing temperatures and the havoc plants have endured. We need to consider how best to care for freeze-damaged plants. It is important for each of us to assess the freezing damage before mindlessly removing dead stalks or pruning back plants, shrubs and trees. Everyone’s landscape looks a bit tattered with grayish brown lawn patches, and plants which suffered the effects of recent weather! If you are like me, it seems overwhelming, and I want to rush outdoors and begin ‘correcting’ issues caused by the freezing weather. Don’t do it! Not yet at least, it is important for us all to take a “wait and see” approach to minimize further plant damage especially regarding woody shrubs, perennials and citrus trees!
Forcing myself (patience- is not easy for me on any level), I’ve chosen not to immediately remove damaged plant material, but rather to wait before attempting landscape cleanup of any kind. I haven’t touched any of the many freeze-damaged trees, shrubs, or plants on my property. But one thing each of us gardeners must do, if you haven’t already done so, is to remove protective covers from all plants immediately or more plant damage will occur from over-heating and lack of photosynthesis!
Hopefully, precautions were taken with preparations completed before freezing weather arrived at our area. Relocating plants to protected or better yet, enclosed areas is obviously the best alternative. For plants which are too large to relocate there are several protection options. Shrubs and small trees can be wrapped with insulating wraps, such as wax coated burlap, then overwrapped with moisture impermeable top wrap (tarpaulin). Another option is to use incandescent lighting (outdoor lighting) if an electrical receptacle is nearby, loosely wrapped around branches and trunk can provide warmth. The most time consuming option- enclosures can be built around individual plants (a technique which I used consisting of four T-posts installed around the trees’ perimeter, wrapping the trees in burlap, covered with wood lattice, then surrounding the T-posts exterior with a weather resistant layer and securing with rope and duct tape). Note that using large, water filled containers inside enclosures can increase warmth due to the water’s exothermic (heat-releasing) reaction which occurs while freezing.
If plants were covered, remove the covers on sunny, warm days but keep them close at hand…just in case! If warm weather persists for several days, plants which were moved into protected areas can be returned to their locations since they require plenty of sunlight for photosynthesis to remain healthy. Plants make their food using energy from the sun. Remain mindful of weather patterns using a weather app of choice.
During extended hard freezes the water encapsulated between and within plants’ cells will freeze which causes the cells to expand to the point of rupture which results in severely damaged plant tissue. Unfortunately, this type of damage is often irreversible and often seen with tropical plants varieties after a freeze. Sensitive plants such as hibiscus, cannas, pentas, vinca, angel’s trumpet, banana trees, gingers, succulents and cassia trees are highly susceptible.
Let’s discuss the ‘signs’ of freeze damage (without rolling your eyes) as some signs are more evident than others! The plants’ appearance will not be the same as before the freeze. Most tropical plants will lose turgidity, becoming ‘droopy’ and shriveled, similar in appearance to when a plants needs watering. The plants’ foliage will move away from ‘waxy’ green sheen to a darker ‘dull’ green color, then to a purplish brown color. After an extended “hard freeze”, unfortunately plant stems can split, and bark will peel away meaning that most likely the plant did not survive and will need to be removed and discarded.
For trees, shrubs, or “woody” plants, gently scratch the bark away in a small area to determine where the “green” layer ends or begins. Marking the “living” tissue area on the limbs is acceptable but don’t remove the damaged area until spring. Removing the damaged material too soon can cause more damage if another extended freeze were to occur (unlikely but it could happen) which would inflict more damage and require another round of plant material to be removed, meaning the plant may not survive your zealousness. Once spring finally returns and the danger of frost abated, remove the dead limbs, and hope for the best.
There are steps which gardeners can take to assist in a plant’s recovery from freezing damage. The amount of damage plants suffered depends on the severity as well as the duration of the freezing temperatures. During light freezes (temperatures between 29 to 32F) for short periods of time are most often easy for plants to recover. This isn’t the case when extended, hard freezes (temperature below 28F) blanket our area for several days.
Gardeners are for the most part an ‘impatient’ lot (me included), wanting to remove the damaged plant parts immediately after damage occurs. Now is the time for all gardeners to be patient! I highly discourage gardeners to go straight for the pruners, cutting everything back since it will take takes several days to weeks for plants to show us the extent of damage suffered. For clarity, if plants demonstrate mushy or slimy textured material, this will need to be removed quickly to prevent fungal infection and spread of disease. My suggestion is to cut away the dead material rather than ‘pulling’ the material from the plant to avoid further damage! Another sign plants, shrubs, or trees have succumbed to extreme cold weather-gnats flying about or if the leaves turn black without new growth appearing, remove the plant and discard.
Let’s face it- caring for our plants during freezing weather is a labor of love, requiring a good bit of planning, and includes an abundance of exercise (depending on plants’ location and the size of your collection). Tropical and subtropical plants can be maintained year-long by taking proper precautions. An optimistic view is that Nature will take care of pruning our plants in winter. Tropical and herbaceous perennials which have become unruly over the summer will be ‘trimmed’ and most often ‘flush’ in spring growing back from their roots.
Until next time, fellow gardeners, let’s go out and ‘plant’ ourselves a greener and more sustainable world, one plant at a time! Please send your gardening questions to: jongreene57@gmail.com.
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