How can you tell the South Valley natives from the imports from
Minnesota, Maine and New York?
That’s easy. When there is a rare dusting of snow on the hills,
the natives rush out to make wimpy snowballs and roll in the wet
stuff. The imports, who know what real snow is all about, stay
indoors by the fire, watching the Olympics and sipping warm
drinks.
How can you tell the South Valley natives from the imports from Minnesota, Maine and New York?
That’s easy. When there is a rare dusting of snow on the hills, the natives rush out to make wimpy snowballs and roll in the wet stuff. The imports, who know what real snow is all about, stay indoors by the fire, watching the Olympics and sipping warm drinks.
I’m one of the natives. And while I enjoy a few wimpy snowballs, what I really worry about is how the awful cold and little bit of snow last weekend affected my garden.
It is not good news. Remember the warmth of our false spring just two weeks ago? Those high temperatures brought on a rush of early growth to all plants but especially to frost-sensitive plants. Roses and fruit trees started to bud out. Our tropicals were tricked into new growth. And then, wham, overnight temperatures dipped down to the low 30s.
Cold shocked those early buds and tender plants. And we are left to wonder: Now what?
The answer: Nothing. Just nothing.
As much as you want to rush out with your pruning shears to cut away the blackened, ragged damage from that cold weather, don’t do it.
The way to treat frost-damaged plants is to wait until new spring growth kicks in again. Some things that look totally dead will come back with surprising new growth. Some things that look like they’ve made it will never recover. But you can’t tell until that new growth appears.
When you see signs of new growth, then take your pruning shears and start snipping. Even if new rose growth has been damaged by cold, roses make a remarkable recovery. At the most you may need to snip a few shriveled leaves. Fruit trees don’t mind the cold; they simply slip back into dormancy and start to grow again when the weather is right.
But cold weather smacks citrus and avocado trees. Watch them carefully for signs of new growth and then prune back damaged wood. The tips of bougainvillea are probably damaged and will need a light pruning later on. Jade plants collapse and turn to mush is very cold weather, and it is nearly impossible to bring a jade plant back to glory.
Overall, despite the cold and snow, it has not been cold enough to totally kill plants. The difference here is with the soil. In snow country, the soil freezes. Ours does not. Although the tops of some plants may look ratty, the roots are still alive in the soil. So, even if you cut a plant down to the ground – and that’s rarely necessary – the plant will eventually recover.
When the new growth appears, prune off the damaged parts, cutting back about 2 inches into healthy wood. Then, fertilize the plant to encourage fresh growth, and water as needed through summer.
Should you just give up on some plants? That depends on how you feel about your plant and how well you can live with a cold-damaged plant as it struggles to recover. A few years ago, a heavy frost turned to freeze in my yard. My big orange tree was in bad shape. My son-in-law cut it way back and then suggested just cutting it down. I said, no, let’s give it a chance. It’s now 15 feet tall and loaded with sweet oranges.
So, let it snow. Let the frost cover everything. And don’t worry. It will all turn out OK.
A Reader Wants to Know: I went to the garden center to buy a bare-root fruit tree, and noticed that most are beginning to leaf out. Does this make them a bad buy? I want a self-fruiting cherry tree but I don’t want to start with a weak tree.
Joan Says: Trees that are starting to leaf out are doing what they’re supposed to do. They are breaking their dormancy, which is typical this time of year. In fact, they are good buys because the nurseries and garden centers are frantic to clear out this bare-root stock before the spring-season plants arrive. I have seen bare-root trees and roses priced 50 per cent off, and more. Go ahead and buy your cherry tree and enjoy the reduced price.
