Although these lilies may not bloom in the current year, they will survive to bloom again
Just when you think spring was here to stay, Jack Frost pays a late season visit and leaves an ugly mess behind. All too often, unseasonably warm temperatures in late winter and early spring can cause big problems in our gardens and landscapes.
These ‘spring-like’ temperatures often result in many plants and trees breaking dormancy prematurely. This sudden drop to below freezing can wreak havoc on tender new growth. So what should you do when this happens? That depends.
Shrubs
Besides the potential season-ending loss of flowers that bloom on or before June (i.e. azaleas, hydrangeas and rhododendrons), the plants themselves usually fare much better. You may choose to remove dead flower buds (they’re gone for the year) for cosmetic purposes. Otherwise, they’ll fall off on their own eventually.
The newly emerging leaves on deciduous shrubs appear burned or blackened or as though it has turned to mush after a late season freeze. Fortunately, in many cases (and depending on the severity and duration of the freeze) damage is often confined to the foliage. In a matter of weeks, these leaves will be shed as new growth emerges to replace it.
Newer branch growth and tips are also subject to dieback. Once several weeks have passed and potential new foliage growth has emerged, you will be able to see any stem dieback. Working from the top down, prune dead stems and tips back to the first set of healthy leaf buds at this time.
Evergreen shrubs may also exhibit damage, but usually in the newest tissue towards the top of the plant. Older, thicker foliage further down, may or may not show signs of damage. Signs of damage include brown or black discoloration or limpness.
Wait to prune back these plants until it is obvious that new growth will not be emerging from the branches. Usually by late May, new growth will have appeared if it is ever coming back. At this time, you can cut back branches to healthy growth.
Trees
Trees respond similarly to shrubs. Although the foliage on your prized trees might look terrible right now, trees must have leaves to survive. When a late season cold snap fries the foliage, new leaves will emerge to take their place. In the event tree branches suffer dieback, you may cut back dead limbs to healthy growth to improve appearance.
Perennials and bulbs
Some perennials and bulb foliage may have taken a hit as well. In the case of hostas go ahead and remove the damaged foliage right away allowing the new foliage to come on unencumbered. If the foliage has turned to mush all the way to the ground, go ahead and remove it. New growth should emerge.
For oriental and Asiatic lilies, you might wait a few more weeks to see if new foliage emerges from the top of the plant. Although they may not bloom this year they will need this foliage to store energy for blooms next year.
I realize this may take a great deal of patience on your part and a willingness to put up with a few ‘uglies’, but don’t be hasty cutting everything down or back all at once. Plants need to grow! Putting out new growth is how they recover and continue to survive. Your patience will be rewarded.
Tender Annuals
Annuals and warm season vegetable plants that appear to have melted away are not coming back. Consider this a valuable lesson learned. There is a reason you hear not to put these plants in your garden until after the risk of the last frost has passed.
You can find information on the average date of the last spring frost for your area by calling your local county extension service. This is especially important information for planting tender perennials and annuals. Some years you might be able to cheat Jack Frost but just like this season sometimes he cheats you!
About Joe Lamp'l
Joe Lamp'l is the Host and Executive Producer of the award winning PBS television series Growing A Greener World. Off camera, Joe dedicates his time to promoting sustainability through his popular books, blog, podcast series, and nationally syndicated newspaper columns. Follow Joe on Twitter
Last year i planted very fargile plants in my garden. Unfortunately, they all died due to cold forst in morning. This year i have researched for cold standing flowering plants. Calendula and Pansy can stand the cold better and also they are graceful.
My northern catalpa is over 20 yrs old and bloomed last year. Branches look dead but shoots are coming out of main trunk. Tree is on NE side of house. Will other branches recover? Advice?
We have a 28 yr old mature Boston ivy growing around our brick garage (20’x20′ spread). It was healthy until this year. Its May 24th and there is very little or no growth. We think this may be due to an early severe cold snap last October that froze all the leaves on the vine before they had a chance to turn colour fully and fall naturally. Could this be the cause? And what is the outlook for our favourite vine? There is a little green in some of the vine shoots but not a lot. thanks.
CJ, Cold could absolutely cause this dieback. If you see new growth coming up from the base of the plant you should be in good shape. It may take a while but if your Boston ivy is still alive it should recover fully.
Best of luck.
Our red currant bush had just started getting leaf buds when it froze. There was about a week of freezing temperatures and snow. It’s been a couple weeks since it warmed up again and the buds have not grown any more, so I assume they died. However, no new buds have started growing either. Will I get any currants this year?
Anna, It sounds like you may not get many currants this year if you don’t have any buds yet.I would scratch the cane with your finger nail to see if there is any green wood and then you will know it is alive. If the wood is green don’t cut it back, just let your plant recover and maybe you’ll get buds yet. Here is some information that may be helpful for next year.
Frost Injury to Blossoms
Currants and gooseberries bloom early in the spring. Severe frosts can injure blossoms and young developing berries. Frosts cause less problems in sites with good air drainage.
In small plantings, cloth or paper covers can be put over plants for frost protection. Plastic usually gives little or no protection. In larger plantings, sprinkler irrigation is effective. Special nozzles which deliver about 2.5 mm of water per hour are used. The conversion of water to ice on the plants releases heat which protects blossoms and berries. Start applying water over the plants when the temperature is low enough that the water freezes (about -1°C). Irrigation should continue until the film of water covering the blossoms and berries would not freeze if irrigation stopped. Trickle irrigation is not useful for frost protection. Good luck.
I live in northeast Pennsylvania and i decided to do some landscaping for my mother. I put in a raised bed with three “bloomerang” lilac bushes and one small weeping pussy willow tree. Unfortunately I did all this on a 70 degree day followed by a few days of almost January like weather. All 4 plants looked burned and the leaves are dried and crisp along with the new branch growth. Do you think they’ll come back and is there there anything I can do to help them out now that spring has finally sprung?
Donato, Unfortunately there is not a quick fix. I would wait a bit longer and see if you get any new growth appearing before cutting back the plants. You can also try the scratch test with your finger nail to see if the wood is green under the brown on the stems. The Boomerang lilacs are promoted for reblooming so if the branches aren’t dead you may still get flowers this season. Keep plants well watered and make sure soil is well drained. Happy Gardening!
We have a small Japanese maple miniature tree a late Frost has wilted the leaves the tree looks like it’s going to die will it or will these leaves come back we forgot to cover it one night Franklin NC April frost
Joseph, I think your tree will recover and put out new leaves, especially since it was a frost and not a freeze for days.
Hello, my friends tulips have full on bloomed but them temps dropped to low 40s/high 30s last night, only reaching maybe 40 today with periods of snow and ice, with a low of 29/30 tonight but jumping right back to 60s tomorrow, 70s the next day, both days lows being in the 40s, then plummet back to low 40 daytime and low 30 night time, the bloom has fallen over and is laying on the ground because of it. They drive a truck and will be gone for a week so my question is how do I help save his tulip because it has a lot of sentimental meaning to him and I don’t want to see it just die. Please any help will be appreciated!! Thank you!
Michelle, Although the tulips have bloomed and there was a cold snap, the bulbs may be fine for next year.
It doesn’t sound like the ground froze so that is encouraging. If there is green foliage, leave it until it turns yellow and then cut it off. Best of luck.
Hi,
I recently purchased some plants from Tractor Supply (Gooseberry, Strawberry, Hardy Kiwi, Goji Berry, American Hazelnut, Black Berry, Blueberry and Hybrid Willows). According to the directions it says to plant them outside when the soil is workable, which would be now, but the plants are actively growing; they all have green leaves. I live in Pennsylvania and we still have another month of cold weather. Night temperatures drop down to the mid teens, basically a hard frost every night. I have them in pots and bring them in at night when the temperature drops. If I just leave them out it will obviously kill off the new growth, but could it potentially kill the entire plant? What would be the best thing to do? Leave them in the house for a month? Leave them outside? Or keep bringing them in at night and putting them out during the day?
Thanks.
Steve,
Your instincts are spot on! Because the plants are actively growing and in containers, I would bring them in every night, at least to a garage or somewhere protected from a hard frost and then bring them back outside (weather permitting) during the day. If they were already established plants growing in your garden, I would not be as concerned. Make sure to keep them watered and let them dry out between waterings. Once the frost free date in your region has passed I would plant them outside and be sure to mulch them too. You may already know this but kiwi typically requires a male and a female plant for the best pollination and fruit set. Sounds like you have a great selection of fruit trees and shrubs. Best of luck.
I recently purchased blueberry roots at Walmart, they said to plant mid-March-April, so I went ahead and planted them last weekend, we had been having temps no lower than the 40s for several weeks and I figured they’d be fine. I did not realize that we would be having a late season snow late last week until after I planted them, so I heavy mulched them and covered the plants with clear plastic containers until the snow ended, it melted quickly after and the temps have been back in the 40s and above ever since. My plants looked fine when I took the clear plastic containers off of them after the snow, however they have since turned all brown. I’m worried that the plants have died. Is there any chance they’ll come back? The branches do still feel pliable. They came in a two pack of two different types, one is a Vaccinium Corymbosum Hybrid “Blueberry Misty” (early season harvest), and the other is a Vaccinium Virgatum “Blueberry Legacy” (late season harvest). I’m feeling hopeful, but don’t want to get my hopes too high! Thank you for any input!
Kim, At this point, the most important thing is the root system. If the rootball had lots of healthy looking roots when you planted your blueberries I think they will recover from this setback. If they were actively growing and blooming when it snowed and the flowers were killed, you won’t get blueberries this year but don’t despair. Without seeing the plants, and going by your description, I would wait until the frost free date has passed, (for us in the Atlanta area, this is around April 15) and then cut the brown stems back. It would be great if you could leave at least 5 to 6″ of stem, provided it looks viable. I would keep them watered, once a week should be adequate, keep them in full sun and see what happens. I would not fertilize them while they are recovering. I hope this helps. Keep us posted!
Joe,
My wife and I are selecting a maple for our home in Arvada, Colorado. We greatly prefer a tree that has the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows during the fall season. It seems that most maples have dangers for our zones (Zone 6a) and soil type (fairly alkaline.) Any suggestions that could help us with this decision?
Rob, Fall is one of my favorite seasons. There is a native for your region called the big tooth maple, Acer grandidentatum that you may want to look for. I recommend that you have your soil tested first, here is a link for the extension service that offers soil testing. http://www.soiltestinglab.colostate.edu/ I also recommend the Colorado Tree Coalition. http://coloradotrees.org/find/ They have lists of trees that do well in Colorado. If you are set on a maple, a native selection or cultivar that is selected and known to better tolerate alkaline soils is best. ‘Caddo,’ ‘John Pair,’ and ‘Autumn Splendor’ are worth considering. I hope this helps. Happy gardening!
Just received 10 misc trees in the mail today. We live in western Massachusetts, They were suppose to be delivered in fall, but ….Snowing out and ground is frozen, what do I do with them. One of them is an evergreen. They are ot going to be able to be planted until spring. Do you have any ideas on how to keep them alive?
Pat,
I’m sorry they shipped your trees so late in the season, I know that must be frustrating.
I would contact the nursery you purchased them from and let them know the situation. I hope they will guarantee the trees.(they should since they shipped them to you at this time. If they are bare root and you could dig a trench and heel them in, they may make it until spring. Check with your local cooperative extension service for guidance on heeling them in. If they are in containers and you can group the containers next to a garage wall and cover them with mulch this could help. It is the fluctuations in the temperatures that can cause damage. If the plants can maintain dormancy until very early spring when you can plant them in the ground this may work too. Here is a link for the Western Mass. Extension. I hope this helps. Best of luck. https://ag.umass.edu/extensionoutreach/umass-extension-in-your-community/extension-in-western-massachusetts
We have had a warm February here in Southern Maine. I sold my house & am moving to a new house and I want to dig up my rose shrub & some other perennials. My bed of my perennial garden is soft to dig in but what can I do to preserve my plants after I dig them up if I cannot dig the ground at the new house & plant them right away?
Wrap them in newspaper & keep them in cold dark place, such as my bulkhead? Leave them outside?
If they’re dormant, you could dig them and put them in cold storage, wherever that is: a refrigerator or such. But ideally, I would wait until the last possible minute and dig them then and transplant asap after that. You don’t want them to dry out or break dormancy before you get them in the ground. So slight moisture, VIA damp paper wrapped around the roots combined with cold temps to keep the plants from thinking it’s time to wake up. And also keep them dark.
Dear Joe
We have a red crimson maple tree plus other maples that need to be pruned but the weather here in Virginia has been unseasonably warm and they are starting to bloom. Would it hurt them if we go ahead and trim them now? The crimson maple has been planted for about eight years and hasn’t grown that much. Why? Thank you
You can prune it now Joyce. The sooner the better but now should be fine. I’m in the same boat here in Atlanta and will catch up on my maple pruning this weekend. Here’ they have started to leaf out also.
If crepe myrtles leaves are teeny tiny and deformed looking, does that mean it’s not going to survive?
Not sure I would draw that conclusion Deb. From just what you wrote, it sounds like herbicide damage. If so, it could stunt the growth, maybe kill the tree, but hopefully in time, it will recover. Time will tell.
Hi- I am located in the Boston area – some of my peonies have started to sprout new growth while several of the older (3 years) plants have not. Is this unusual? Our winter wasn’t bad this year – not a lot of snow – but i’m wondering if something may have caused them to die off?
Hi – I planted 4 flowering weeping trees (2 different japanese maples, a weeping cherry, and a weeping redbud) in november – all seem to have been laid low by the late but heavy winter and then the early spring followed by freeze this year (in maryland) – they look scrawny, no leaves, few deadlooking branches; 2 of them are growing some new leaves at their base of their trunks, but the main branches themselves seem dead – is there any hope? what can i do if anything to stabilize them ??
Help right them up Mercy and do what you can to stabilize them. Look for new leaves emerging from the branches and if the top part of branches are dead, cut them back to just above the first set of new leaves. For branches that look dead, if you don’t see new leaves emerging somewhere lower on the branch, prune the branch back until you see green tissue in the branch. If so, the remaining part of the tree branch is viable and should produce new growth eventually. If you don’t like what you see after this, consider replacing the tree.
Great info!
My large border of hostas began turning yellowish and brown as they began to leaf-out this spring, I live in Chicagoland. It’s in all of them and they have been in this location at least 20 years and always beautiful. I was wondering if I should cut them down now or live with it all summer? AND… If I were to cut them down now, is there any chance that they would leaf-out yet again this spring?
I assume they will be fine again next year. I was just hoping to enjoy their beauty this year. btw .. hostas which are planted in other parts of my yard look great, but I don’t believe they began leafing out as early as these began. We had a warmer than normal March, but a cold April. Thanks again for all the great info!
This is strange Lynda. Not sure why those hostas would be acting this way in spring?! Is the sun/shade situation the same? Could they have been exposed to herbicide drift from a neighbor?
I’d cut back the foliage if it’s dead or dying and see if new growth comes back. Or cut some of it back if you don’t want to do it all. We should experiment here to see what happens. You have to be detective for these sort of mysteries and try to solve this mystery.
Hi. I’m a beginner at gardening. I planted veggie seeds and some started to sprout. Today we got a rain snow mix and temp is 43degrees. I didnt have much to cover them but old blankets, cardboard and tarps. Do you think they’re gonna be ok or should I dig it all up and start over round may 1st? Thank you
I can’t say for sure. It depends on several things. But you’ll know within a week. If they perk up, you know you’ll be fine. Just give it a few more days. It’s worth finding out before you start over. It will teach you a lot by observing what happens. Good luck Mary.
Hi Joe, I’m new to caring for roses. My father gave me a cutting two years ago of a rose that belonged to my grandmother. We live in NJ and it’s been doing pretty well in a large pot so far, and appeared to make it through the winter. We had a mild February and it was starting to sprout leaves. A few weeks ago we had a final cold snap and now the stems have all turned black. There is only one small section of green left on one stem and it’s closer to the top, while the base is black. Is there any way I can save this? I’m so upset to lose it. Thanks so much!
Joe, I think my Hosta experienced some yellowing due to the recent cold temperatures. Will they come back to life with there usual green luster?
Yes. Also could be some sun bleaching if your tree canopy hasn’t leafed out yet. Your hostas will be fine in time Janelle.
Last year at this time I transplanted some Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) from my grandparents’ old house in central Ohio. I was selling the property, and wasn’t at all sure they’d survive, but I dug deep and brought each with a huge dirt ball, then kept them watered well throughout the spring and summer. I was overjoyed a couple weeks ago to see that four of them were coming up!
Then, this cold snap arrived. When I heard it was going to freeze, I went out and bought yards and yards of burlap and some pots. I wrapped them and covered them with the burlap, then inverted a pot over top, then another layer of burlap, and finished with tucking a square of black plastic over top. It warmed up again, and I uncovered them to let them get some light. (They still looked okay.)
But then this new bout of cold weather arrived. Temperatures are supposed to go down to 25 degrees F tonight (Friday) and 21 degrees tomorrow night. So when I rewrapped them yesterday (just as before), I also filled some plastic trash bags with a thin layer of Styrofoam peanuts, and put these underneath the final plastic layer. It’s only supposed to reach a high of 35 degrees F tomorrow, before plunging to 21 degrees, so I had decided not to unwrap them until Sunday. Now I read that there are going to be two more freezing nights next week!
Questions: Do you think my coverings will work to keep them from freezing? (There were some blossoms starting to pop up on a couple of them.) And how long can they go without light before they start to turn yellow (like grass that has been under a kiddie swimming pool)? I was planning to unwrap them again Sunday and leave them uncovered until Tuesday. Then they can possibly be exposed for a few hours, before being rewrapped for Wednesday night. If the blossoms and or leaves get frozen, will they come back next year? I’m just panicking, because I grew up with these, and SO wanted them to survivel! Now THIS!
Hi Cindy. I’m rooting for you. You are dedicated to protecting your bluebells. I think I would go for frost and freeze protection first vs. worrying about sunlight for just a couple of days. Yes, if you have time to give them light during the day for a while then go for it. But I think the bigger risk for you (if at all), is the cold weather. I’m not sure what the lower temperature tolerance is on them but since you just are transplanting them, that certainly makes them more vulnerable than if they were naturally growing before being dug up. This could all be unnecessary but better to play it safe and since you’ve already done the work, I’d stick with it for the next days to get through this. Sorry I don’t have a more definitive answer here but this one could go either way.
my moms rose bushes are full of foliage and her lilac bush is blooming, Its suppose to get down to 30 degrees tonight. I was wondering if that is cold enough to cover or should they be ok? Thank you
Hi! So I think the new growth of my early emerging peonies got zapped last night. some are just poking out of the ground and seem ok but some are 7-8 inches tall and look horrible. does that mean those peonies wont flower this year or will new growth emerge?
I think you will be fine Melissa. Early foliage damage should not deter your plants from doing what they do. The resiliency of nature is pretty amazing and ever-apparent in the garden.
Hi Joe, I’m in CO. We had a some warm weeks and plants were vigorously jumping out of the ground. Then, high winds with 16 inches of snow. Melted fast. Garden did better than I thought, but my daylilies were about 8 inches tall and are now bent over, limp, and with much faded color. Should I just leave them alone or do I need to do something for them? And, if I need to cut them back should I wait a while and how much should I cut? The bottom 3 inches still look healthy. I planted them early last spring so they are now starting their second year.
Also, just wondering – Our neighbor had a beautiful full tree that stood about 15+ feet tall and almost that big around. It was a well established tree. The weight from the snow tipped the tree over and heaved the ground up about a foot for about three feet out behind it. The tree did not completely fall over, but it angled quite a bit. He cut the tree down. I’m just wondering, would the tree have survived if he had waited for the ground to soften and tried to upright it and stake it? Or, if the ground heaves that much will a tree not recover. No, I’m not a snoopy neighbor. I was just really sorry to see that tree go – she was a beauty. I don’t plan to say anything to him (his house, his tree, and it’s moot now), but I think I would have at least tried to save it. None of the roots were exposed. But it did heave the ground quite a bit.
Hi Carole. I would leave your daylilies alone and let nature try to help them recover. If the foliage is damaged and ends up dying, then just let it go or cut it away. Hopefully new growth will emerge to take its place.
Regarding your neighbor’s tree, I would have left it alone until it could be uprighted and then possible secure staking until new roots anchored it in. I think that would have saved it.
Is it just me or does this happen EVERY year now? At least it seems that way here in the lower midwest… Every year it gets incredibly warm for long periods of time way too early. It didn’t used to be like this, everything was pretty seasonal for the most part. The trees flower out when we all know an inevitable hard frost is still to come. I can’t remember the last time I got fruit from my fruit trees or hardy kiwis because of this. I give up, chopping them down and planting evergreens!
Thank you for all the info! We are experiencing late freezing temperatures here in Hermiston OR,I already planted a medium size Weigela (Couldn’t resist getting it since it was so full of pink flowers!), I’ve been covering the plant during the night, temperature got as low as 25 F. Tonight it will be the last night with freezing temperatures around the 29F. (Crossing fingers to be the last day with low temp) The thing is that the plant is losing most of the flowers, some of them are still attached to the plant but I know they are dead. But the plant has like no leaves at all, it was all flowers! What can I do for my plant?? She is going so bald 🙁
By the time you get this response, the worst is over. If the plant survives these past cold days, it should recover. Basically it went from a comfy, cozy, climate controlled environment at the nursery and garden center, to the harsh realities of real life at your house. That’s a drastic change for a plant that hasn’t had the chance to acclimate to the abrupt changes. Not your fault. It happens. And it sounds like you did the right thing once you planted it. Good luck.
Do your comments about perennials also apply to newly planted perennials? I bought “baby” perennials from the Internet. They’ve looked great for the last two weeks (arrived NOT dormant) but now they are predicting a late season Nor-easter that might plunge our temperatures into the 20s. What would you do if you were me ? If they are all going to die I’ll take an hour and dig them all out of my garden before the weekend.
Hi Leah. You can take a couple approaches here. First, do nothing and hope for the best. In this case, you risk dieback to the roots. But it depends on what type of perennials they are (I trust hardy for your area). It is unfortunate timing that you got plants that are now in active growth. I suspect you will get dieback of the tender foliage at least. Have you mulched the area around your plants? That may help with protecting the roots. Although the roots stand a much better chance of survival. And if you do get dieback, hopefully the roots are fine and will send up new growth once these plants establish in the ground. Keep in mind that may take a while since they’re new plants and need to set roots first before sending up top growth.
Second, you could do some light protecting. If it’s possible to cover them with a sheet or plastic or light blanket, so that they are insulated from frost while trapping ground heat. That could make a big difference in perhaps protecting the foliage and keeping the ground around the roots warmer. But again, I’m not as worried about the roots. And if the roots survive, even if the foliage dies back, you should still be able to see new growth after recovery as mentioned above.
If you take this route, BE SURE to remove the cover – especially if it’s PLASTIC, before the sun emerges for the day. Otherwise your plants could cook, even on a cold day.
Three: You could dig them up but I don’t think I would go to that trouble unless you want to ensure your plants aren’t affected and can establish fastest once weather warms a bit.
Good luck!
I have daffodil bulbs I just put in in Oct. and they are starting to break through here in Ohio on Feb. 5th, also my hydrangeas are getting buds and peonies pushing through ground. Should I cover these with mulch and cover the bushes with burlap, I know we are going to get slammed with cold weather before this is all over?
Hi Jean. Don’t worry your bulbs emerging from the ground at all. They are amazingly resilient. And it’s too early to worry about your flowering shrubs. The buds should still be tight and resilient to the cold at this point. The bigger risk is a very late cold snap, once those buds have started to emerge and tender growth is then exposed to the cold. That’s when you might need to take pre-emptive action. For now, you get to relax though.
I am a lanscaper and work for customers taking care of their yard. I noticed the last 2 years some scrubs, bushes, and treees will not leafout. It grow half of leafs but the other half will not leafs out.
Any reasons?
Either the branches are dead or some of the roots are. I would examine the plants more closely to see if you can identify a point on each branch that shows live buds that will emerge in spring. if so, prune about 1/4 inch above the first set of live buds and remove all dead branches accordingly. Alternatively, you can wait until later this spring when you can clearly see what has leafed out vs. what has not. When you cut back the branches, you’ll be able to tell by looking at the branch remaining on the shrub, that it looks alive, vs. the part you remove that will be woody and no living tissue. It’s easy to see the difference once you make the cut.
If it’s a root issue, you may need to dig up a plant to investigate what may be causing the problem. Usually it’s an area around that part of the roots that isn’t getting water for some reason.
I purchased a “dormant” Keiffer Pear tree from a big box store in spring. Planted it, and waited for it to leaf out. It never did. I left it in the ground, and it still looks healthy this fall, just never seemed to break dormancy. Scratch test still reveals green under the bark on all branches – there is no die-back. I don’t know if it was exposed to freezing temps after being delivered to store, and before I brought it home. My question is – Is it possible for this tree to break dormancy next spring if it never broke dormancy this year? Thank you
It is “possible” Kimberly. The fact that the scratch test is showing signs of life tells me it just didn’t develop enough roots fast enough to come out of dormancy this summer. So as long as you can spare the room, let’s leave it alone and see what happens next spring. Make sure to add a 2-3 inch layer of mulch a few feet out from the trunk in all directions and continue to water it periodically until winter. The roots should still be growing and you may be pleasantly surprised next spring.
Now, one more thing while I’m thinking about it. We want new growth up in the branches, NOT emerging from the ground as suckers. That is likely to happen but what we want to see if dormant bud break well above the ground. Good luck and please keep me posted.
We have a 9 year old curly willow tree that was hit buy a last spring frost. Leaves we’re starting on it but were damaged by the frost. Will it survive and come back next spring??
If it’s just a frost, then I would say yes Larry, the tree should survive. However, you may have limbs that were damaged or killed. If so, cut those back to living tissue next winter, about 4 weeks before spring. You should see new growth.
BTW, since it is now September and you’re referring to a spring frost, I’m assuming you have not seen new growth replace the damaged leaves this summer? If not, then I do think the limbs of that part of the tree were killed. You can tell by cutting back starting from the tip to a point where you think you may have live tissue. Look at the branch after you cut it. Do you see any signs of life, such as green coloring under the bark? You can also lightly scratch the surface of a limb to expose the layer under the bark before you make any cuts. If you see green tissue, that is a good sign. Otherwise, if it’s brown and brittle, it’s dead at that point, but not necessarily further down the branch.
Watching the temp drop as I write this. Very helpful and hopeful info! Thanks!
Joe, I have a young maple tree where the top died this winter. The lower branches are leaving. I also have a young conifer where the top got broken off. Now the whole tree is doing very poorly for the last year. Should I replace these two trees?
Many times the trees will recover below the dieback area. New growth will sprout to replace the dead area. But if the older area is definitely dead, you should cut it out, back to where new leaf buds are evident. If you’re not in a hurry, that would be the cheapest option. Replacing them is always an option but may not be necessary if you have the time to investigate the first option.
I fear for my roses- we had a mild December and much of January so they all began to grow new leaves, then the first week of February we got slammed with a 4-day hard freeze, with several nights below zero. Now they look dead. Luckily, none of my bulbs were sprouting anyway, so hopefully they’ll be okay.
Interesting post – I just made a similar one laying out a strategy where warm season crops shade cool weather crops.
We have had 25 to 45 degree swings from one day to the next, and this has gone on through the last two ‘winters’ and ‘springs’ we’ve had.
Today, in the middle of February, I have ripe cherimoyas (due to ripen in June), and while some pomegranates are leafing out of dormancy, others have not yet lost last year’s leaves.