Re: another post-freeze question

This is, of course, a very common question these days.  In an
effort to 'clean up' after this bad frost, many people wish to
prune off all of the unsightly 'toasted' foliage a.s.a.p.  Not
always the best idea.  As stated, this can lead to further
damage from cold (we've still have some pretty cold nights
locally) as well as introduce diseases via open cuts which do
not heal well because of frost stress.  As is ALWAYS the case,
a plant recovers best from pruning when it is in active growth
- NOT the case with a frost damaged plant.  Also, it is hard to
know what stems will recover the most vigorously until you see
them actually start to grow.  When new shoots begin to appear,
it is then that selective pruning should take place, and very
quickly before the plant becomes a tangle of live and dead
stems, making for a more difficult (if not impossible) job.
Some perennials, which are known to regrow from the roots, CAN
be cut down to the ground to remove the unsightly dead growth.
Salvia leucantha is a good example, and most people do not cut
this plant back as hard as they should during any year.  Right
now, there are many tangled masses of the grey stems, undoubtably
with new shoot starting at their bases even in this cool weather.
But tender shrubs and trees damaged by frost are best left looking
sad and miserable until warmer weather spurs them into growth (or
not as the case may be).  I was surprized to see many Jade Trees
(Crassula ovata) untouched by the frosts, while others seem to
have completely melted away.  Different forms react in different
ways, and even a fet feet can make all the difference in exposures
that either kill or protect.  I recently reported that my Furcraea
foetida, in full flower, was making it through the cold in good
shape - well, subsequent cold nights have now finished the 20ft
flower scape with no hope of recovery, but there is hope for the
base to regrow.  Not knowing what is still coming with regard to
low temps, I will leave it in majestic decline until the weather
turns.  A large Jade is sad to lose, but they regrow quickly.
Fortunately, even though they may skip 1999, the many Brugmansias
in our area will indeed regrow and someday flower again in
tropical profusion!

Sean O.

Sean A. O'Hara                       sean.ohara@poboxes.com
h o r t u l u s   a p t u s          710 Jean Street
'a garden suited to its purpose'     Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
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