Cold Damage Palm Tree and Shrub Care
Did You Receive Cold Damage in Your Florida Landscape?
After experiencing freezing temperatures many people are wondering…“Will I need to replace my trees and shrubs?” Most likely you won’t have to replace all of them. With the proper cold damage palm tree and shrub care, they can bounce back from the cold even if they have been hit hard. “What can I do and what should I expect?” are questions many of you have.
Cold Damaged Shrubs
First you will see the leaves turning brown and dropping off. This is a normal and natural process for them to do. Don’t be alarmed if all that is left are branches and stems. The way to check if they are still alive is to scrape off the bark with your fingernail going all the way down to the base of the shrub. If you see green tissue, they are still alive. Also remember the roots can still be alive so don’t remove them right away.
Pruning Cold Damaged Shrubs
If part of the stems or branches are brown or hollow they will need to cut back to where the green begins. Even if this means cutting them back all the way down to the base of the shrub. The tops can be dead but the bottoms can be still alive. Do Not begin to prune now. Wait until Springtime begins to do any pruning . The shrub is still in shock and plus you you don’t want to stimulate new growth for another freeze can still happen. Just be patient and hold off pruning for now.
Cold Damage Care For Fertilizing Your Shrubs
Do Not fertilize your shrubs right now, wait until spring arrives. It is best to leave them alone for now. When springtime begins, apply a “Slow-Release” Granular Fertilizer such as “6-6-6″ or “8-10-10″. It is okay to continue to water as you normally would even if a freeze has occurred. In fact water as soon as possible. By Spring you will know what survived and those that did not. Shrubs that are still alive will bounce back, with cold damage palm tree and shrub care.
Palm Tree Cold Damage Treatment
Palm trees that have been hit by cold damage need to be immediately treated with a Fungicide such as “Liquid Copper“. Spray them two times fourteen days between each treatment. Do Not treat more than twice.
Make sure the trunk gets treated thoroughly so the tree will get a drink, soaking it up. Spray the leaves where they are still green with a Nutritional Palm Liquid Fertilizer. There is no need to treat the brown areas on the leaves. Wait until Springtime to apply a Slow-Release Granular Fertilizer formulated for Palm Trees.
Pruning Cold Damaged Palm Trees
Prune off all dead branches to where they are all eliminated. Cut back brown tips to where green begins. Leave the green portions of the branches even if they are spotted yellow. If newly grown branches and leaves appear to be deformed, brown, or abnormal, the tree has been severely damaged. Any sudden collapse of some or all branches emerging in the crown will indicate the trunk is damaged. This can result in a loss of the palm tree.
Palm trees should grow out of the cold damage but will take some time to completely recover. It can take four to six months well into the summer to return to normal even if cold damage palm tree and shrub care has been done. Only time will tell just how bad they have been affected by freezing temperatures.
After Cold Damage Palm And Shrub Care Is Done
Don’t give up and throw in the towel because it is not a hopeless case. With the proper cold damage palm tree and shrub care, their are good chances your trees and shrubs will bounce back and be fine. Don’t panic. Just wait patiently to find out how bad it realy is. By springtime you will know if any need to be replaced. I have seen shrubs take a hard hit from cold weather and return to normal quickly. If you see new growth starting to appear, then that is a good sign they are going to be alright. Palm trees will take longer to show signs of bouncing back. Treat palm trees with palm fertilizer in the summer as you would when following your regular program of nutrient feeding.
Kurt Kmetz
Florida Cold Hardy Plants and Shrubs
Florida Flowers, Plants And Shrubs For Cold Weather
Even though plants and shrubs can experience problems from cold weather, there are types of Florida cold hardy plants and shrubs that can take the winter temperatures that occur in Florida. Choices of cold hardy shrubs that can be used in a landscape, range from small to medium in size.
During the winter months in Florida there are flowering plants, available at garden centers and nurseries that can be planted. That is one of the advantages we have in Florida, to be able to have color in our landscapes year round. Using Florida cold hardy plants and shrubs is a great choice to have for Florida landscaping.
Using Cold Hardy Shrubs In A Florida Landscape
Cold hardy shrubs can be used as protection for other plants and shrubs. It is a good idea to place cold hardy shrubs in locations where they can minimize cold damage, for plants and shrubs that are not able to withstand low freezing winter temperatures. This will help tender plants and shrubs to survive, but it is still recommended to cover ones that can be hurt from extreme cold weather, for overall protection.
Place cold hardy shrubs where bedding areas for flowering plants are, in a way that they can also protect them from cold. However, I do recommend to also cover bedding plants for protection during a freeze at thirty two degrees or below. Especially when the wind is blowing extremely strong.
Using cold hardy shrubs as protection will reduce the chances of cold injury for other cold susceptible plants and shrubs , but is additional protection.
Florida cold hardy plants and shrubs can be used alone in all locations throughout your property, as hedges, mass plantings, borders around pools and patios. Always remember to consider their plant characteristics, and requirements for light and soil conditions. The same needs to be applied for any flowering plants you plan to use.
Florida Cold Hardy Plants And Shrubs For Landscaping
| Small Cold Hardy Plants | |
| AFRICAN LILLY – LILLY OF THE NILE | CATS CLAW |
| DAY LILIES | IVY |
| PAMPA GRASS | LIRIOPE |
| Cold Hardy Shrubs | |
| JAPANESE BOXWOOD | PITTOSPORUM |
| AZALEAS | FIRE THORN |
| DWARF HOLLIES | ROSES |
| ILEX | SILVER THORN |
| INDIAN HAWTHORNE | DWARF OLEANDER |
| JUNIPER | ASARAGUS FERN |
| DWARF GARDENIAS | HYDRANGEA |
| DWARF JAMINE | THRYALLIS |
| MARGINATA | LOROPETALUM |
| Cold Hardy Bedding Plants | |
| ALYSSUM | PANSY |
| BABY’S BREATH | PETUNIA |
| BLACK-EYED-SUSAN | SNAPDRAGON |
| CALENDULA | SHASTA DAISY |
| CANDYTUFT | STOCK |
| CARNATION | SEA-LAVENDER |
| DIANTHUS – SWEET WILLIAMS | VERBENA |
| SATIN FLOWER – GODETTA | |
Florida cold hardy plants and shrubs are a good choice for Florida landscaping. This will give some relief from the worries of having problems from cold weather. Not only can they survive the winter, some protection can be given to other plants not so cold hardy in your landscape, when placed in the right location.
Keep on Growing!
Kurt Kmetz
