Spring weather can be quite fickle in many parts of the country. One day it’s sunny and it’s 60’s and the next it’s a blizzard. If you decide to take advantage of one of these beautiful days and preparing or planting a spring gardenThen wake up the next morning to find that your plants and / or seedlings are covered in fresh frost. He can crush. But that doesn’t mean that your garden is an all-rounder. How to save your plants after a late frost.
No panic
Even if everything in your yard seems dead after a late frost, it may not necessarily be the case, according to Gardner Goss, Master of Montgomery County. in the an article for the Houston ChronicleGoss breaks down on exactly what to do in such a situation and begins to understand that all of your spring gardening has not been in vain so far.
Hold back on pruning (for the most part)
As tempting as it may be to remove all of the dead parts from your sad looking plants after the frost. Says Goss This is actually a bad idea (at least until you know you’ve seen the last frost). Here’s why:
The first rule is not to prune or prune plants until you know the time for all frosts is over and spring has arrived. The dead material acts as an insulator in the event of future freezing. If there is frost damage, the extent will depend on the type of plant, its age and location, soil moisture retention, low temperatures and duration. When pruning, watch out for new growth. Be careful not to remove any living tissue that has survived the frost.
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Cut off the leaves of the sprouted onions
If you planted bulbs last fall, they can appear early enough in spring that there is still a risk of frost. If so, and the plant’s leaves have been damaged by the frost, Goss says it’s okay to prune them. In fact, they may have already turned to mush. But even if you find mushy leaves on your tulips, you don’t have to kiss them goodbye. Per Goss:
If the bulbs have been in the ground for a while, they are likely to have roots deep enough that even if the leaves turn to mush after being removed, new leaves will sprout. The flower stalk develops independently of the leaves. Most bulbs will have to go through cold weather anyway to stimulate the growth of the flower stalk. As long as the flower buds haven’t sprouted, they’ll likely be fine.
Do not overfeed or over water
In situations where a plant is really taking a lot of leaf damage, keep in mind that it has the same root system as it did before the big freeze. No, plants don’t love when this happens, but they can pull through – they just need time to recover. Goss explains::
Give the plants time to grow their new leaves at their own pace. Apply little or no fertilizer and rinse less than usual. Too much water can damage the roots as the plants don’t have the leaf structure to absorb it.
After year after year of disappointment, it’s comforting to know that plants are resilient too.
