UF/IFAS
Okeechobee County Extension Service
458 Highway 98 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578
Phone: (863) 763-6469
E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu
February 21, 2007
| Quick Links: Water needs Pruning Right Plant/Right Place References |
Feature Article - for release the week of February 27, 2007
Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent
Dealing with Frost Damage
Having
just returned from a brief visit up north, I had a chance
to experience first-hand the snow, ice and all the gloomy
challenges that send winter visitors to the Sunshine
State. While I was gone, Jack Frost paid a visit to
our area, and judging from the phone calls this past week,
some local plants have paid a price to winter weather.
Dealing with cold temperature damage to plants in your Florida Yard involves patience. Today’s column will give readers some ideas on what can be done to help frost damaged plants recover from the jaws of old man winter.
One call in particular asked what can be done to get the lawn quickly green again. Advice from UF specialists offers many ideas on how to prepare a lawn or landscape to handle cold temperatures. Dealing with damage is different. The best course of action for turf and other ornamental plant recovery is to wait for warmer conditions to return, and then resume normal but not excessive amounts of water and fertilizer.
Water Needs
Plant water needs should be checked after a freeze. The leaves will continue to release water vapor (transpiring), especially on those clear sunny days after a freeze. However, if water in the soil or a container is frozen, it will not be able to move up into the plant. Wilted plants will be the result.
In the short term, applying water to the soil will help thaw it out and provide available water for the plant. Water may actually serve to warm the roots and get them to work better. Be certain not to add too much water - overwatering can reduce the amount of air space in the soil and can encourage soil borne root diseases.
Sometimes the soil in container grown plants will have a white crusty deposit on the surface. This may indicate a buildup of salts from over-fertilization or hard water deposits. If the soil or media has high amounts of soluble salts, it definitely should not be allowed to dry out. This is because salts would be concentrated into a smaller volume of water, and can cause “fertilizer burn” on plants.
Pruning
Severe pruning should be delayed until new growth appears. However, dead, unsightly leaves may be removed as soon as they turn brown. If possible, wait until they naturally fall if the appearance factor is not critical.
Before the pruner touches the plant, be sure that the place where the cut is to be made will be in live wood. Do not remove living plant parts that contain stored up food reserves. Remember that pruning scars will only heal if the cuts are made into living tissue.
Cold injury may appear as a lack of spring bud break on a portion or on all of the plant. Some may show an overall weak appearance. The outer branch tips may be damaged, while older wood can be free of injury.
The “line” between dead and live wood will eventually be “marked” by the growth of a new bud. If you are still not sure, a small scrape of the bark with a sharp knife will show either a green or darkened growth layer. Cold-injured cambium layers under the bark will be black or brown in color; live tissue is green. Prune these branches behind this point of discoloration.
In some cases, it will take some time for the buds to break after cold damage, so be patient before going crazy with winter-kill pruning.
These Ixora bushes were frosted by our February 19th freezing temperatures here in Okeechobee. While the top foliage has been burnt back, there is plenty of green stems below which will allow for recovery. Photo 2/22/07 by Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS |
Only the top layer of this Surinam Cherry hedge was burnt by this February cold snap. In this location, the lowest temperature was 26o F. Photo 2/22/07 by Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS |
Finally, consider that a plant damaged beyond repair is actually an opportunity to try something different. Florida homeowners enjoy a vast array of plant material choices. We often choose the more exotic tropical appearance in our Florida Yards, and now we pay the price.
Plants are often planted past their northern limit in Florida. For our area, dependably hardy plants are those rated for USDA Hardiness zone 9b or less. These hardiness zones are guidelines, as the microclimates in your area may differ dramatically because of nearby windbreaks or bodies of water.
Tropical and subtropical plants can be used effectively in Florida Yards, but they must be protected in cold years, or the homeowner must be prepared to replace them when the law of averages catches up with over-enthusiastic tropical tastes.
How about a compromise with Jack Frost: choose a combination of tender and hardy plants. In this manner, should a hard freeze occur, the total devastation of the landscape by extremely cold weather is avoided.
Orchid Meeting Monday Night
Last month a very enthusiastic meeting was held at our office for persons interested in orchids. To ward off the winter blues, why not come by our office on Monday February 26th, 7:00 PM at the Okeechobee Extension office, for another exciting evening of tropical horticulture. There is no charge for this program, and it promises to be a great way to get togther with a fabulous group of folks.
I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you need additional information on cold damage recovery, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469. Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons. GO GATORS!
-30-
Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida. Larry A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 02/22/2007 . This page is maintained by Dan Culbert
