Post by SpyderLady on Apr 11, 2007 10:22:48 GMT -6
Perennials may recover from cold snap better than annuals
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
By ASHLEY ANTHONY
aanthony@jacksonsun.com
Farmers are not the only ones trying to recover from last week's freezing temperatures. Some homeowners aren't sure what to do with their gardens after the freeze left many of their ornamental plants damaged.
Madison County extension agent Bill Wyatt said the first thing Jackson area residents need to do is be patient with their trees and gardens.
"Wait several days and then evaluate the damage," he said. "I would not start pruning things right away until I knew it was dead as far as stems and branches, and they should know that within a few days."
Plants usually recover without much care, especially herbaceous and perennial plants.
"Their root system is going to be strong enough to grow back," Wyatt said.
Annual plants, however, are tender and won't recover as easily, he added.
"Those probably shouldn't have been planted yet, but because we had a record warm March, some (people) got them ahead of the season," Wyatt said.
The Master Gardeners program coordinator suggests using a sharp pocketknife if you want to assess the damage of trees.
"If their stems or branches are in question, they can peel a small part of the bark back as if they were peeling an apple," he said. "If it's green, it's alive. If it's tan or brown, it's dead and not going to come back."
Don't expect leaves that have turned purple or black to grow back either unless they were just curled up as a result of the freeze, Wyatt said.
He said the freeze took a toll on citrus trees, also.
"Most of them were probably damaged to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if we don't have many peach trees," he said.
He said apple trees and grape vines were damaged, too, but you shouldn't neglect any of these citruses.
"The lesson is to continue to care for those trees even though they probably won't grow fruit," he said. "Don't abandon it for the rest of the growing season. It will still be a good producer for next year."
Moisture is key for revival, he added.
"Probably the best thing for them is to get some rainfall, and fortunately that's in the forecast," Wyatt said. "But if that doesn't happen, provide irrigation yourself. Don't let the plants suffer."
Dutch Garden Center greenhouse manager Regina Akerman said there's only so much you can do for your plants. She said the Humboldt nursery didn't undergo serious damage.
"I think our crape myrtles look pitiful, but they will recover," she said.
Akerman advises being cautious of our frost-free dates, which she said begins on April 15 in Tennessee.
"We're generally free of frost after April 30," she said. "You're taking your chances if you plant before then."