Re: What to do after the freeze



Nan Sterman wrote:

> While the folks in Northern California are reporting on their losses, us
> Southern Californians are suffering as well.  My tropical garden is
> devastated.  I've most certainly lost the salvia coahuilensis (spelling may
> not be great, but you know what I mean) as well as the salvia involucrata.
> Bananas, bauhinia, heliconia, holmskoldia, crotalaria, gingers, guava,
> brugmansia and cardamom are all severly burned.  And why does the banana
> always fruit just before the worst freeze of the year?????
>
> Anyway, I wonder what to do now.  Shall I water as usual or shall I hold
> off on the water?  We have no rain predicted in the near future and I
> usually cut back to once per week or less this time of year.  If I water,
> will that help with the recovery or will it do more harm?
>
> What do you all recommend?

Hi Nan!
I'm sorry about your apparent losses and damage. But don't give up on the
salvias; I've seen them come back from the root stock after the tops were
devistated. My damage seems to be limited to the heliotrope. And I'm
irrigating as usual because the soil is so dry without any rain for so long.
Just don't cut any of that frozen stuff off, It protects what may be still
viable underneath. I know it looks miserable; try  the old gardener's trick of
not looking at what you don't want to see!
I wait til mid-February to cut back any perennial, ugly as they are!
Jan Smithen
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index