January and February were challenging months for our landscape with roller-coaster temperatures, but it is a bit too soon to know if any lasting damage was done. Here are some things to look for as spring arrives.
Bulbs: While flowering bulbs that already emerged and started to bloom may not make it back this spring, dormant bulbs should be fine. Bulbs that had emerging greens but did not have buds may still bloom this year. Oxblood lilies and spider lilies that lost foliage may have reduced blooms in the fall.
Deciduous shrubs and young trees: The best time to check your deciduous shrubs and young trees for lasting freeze damage is when leaves begin to emerge in the spring. The absence of new leaves on some branches is a sign that those branches were damaged. Give the plant time to recover. If the damaged parts of the tree or shrub have not recovered within a month or so of the beginning of the growing season, then it is time to prune them away from the healthy parts of the plant.
Large trees: For large trees, there are two kinds of potential damage you should look for: load damage from the weight of ice and freeze damage to the woody tissue. For oak trees, the wound left after the broken branch is removed should be painted with latex paint to keep the oak wilt-carrying insects from access.
The Native Plant Society of Texas’s recommendation for tree care after a freeze states: If by mid-April the leaf buds haven’t swollen and started opening, then it’s time to check to see if the branch has died by using the scratch test. And if the bark has started cracking and flaking off, that’s often a sign the branch is dead (assuming it isn’t a tree that has naturally peeling and flaking bark).
Flowering perennials: Winter-hardy flowering perennials should be okay. The time to check them is after they begin their spring growth by pushing new growth and flower buds. Be patient as they may do this a bit later than usual. If no new leaves or buds emerge within a couple of weeks of the normal time, you may have lost the plant. When you go to purchase new plants this spring, be sure to check the new plant for any signs it was also damaged. You can do this by pulling the plant out of the pot and checking that the roots near the edge of the pot are healthy. New healthy roots will be white. Roots that were frozen and damaged will be brown and mushy.
The best thing to do right now is wait and see if the plants are going to wake from dormancy and begin a new growth season. It isn’t easy, but waiting is the best way to find out whether your plants were damaged or not. Pruning too soon may damage the healthy parts of the plant.
Happy Gardening!
Submitted by Jill O’Connell
