01/13/2025
If you did get caught off guard and your plants suffered freeze damage, you can do some things to help them recover. If you have light freezes for short periods of time, plants can usually recover. After hard, long freezes, there’s no guarantee.
After the freeze, you should be patient. Do not go straight for the pruners and cut everything back. It takes several days for plants to show us just how damaged they are. If plants are mushy and slimy, remove this material to prevent fungal infection or disease in the days to come.
For woody plants, it’s best to wait until spring. You can check for life on woody plants and perennials by scratching the bark of stems and look for green color underneath. If you find green, you’re in luck. Your plant is still alive.
If you covered plants, remove the covers on warm, sunny days but keep them close by. It will likely freeze several times over the winter. Remember, plants make their own food from energy from the sun.
