Freeze Damage

Although a freeze, especially an unexpected one in late spring, may damage or kill a plant's top growth, its well-insulated rootball in some cases remains healthy and will produce new growth in time. If you have doubts about a plant's ability to recover and rebound, wait a few weeks. You may be pleasantly surprised.

If you're not sure whether a freeze-damaged plant is dead or alive, especially if it's a tree or shrub, perform these quick and reasonably dependable tests:

• First, check to see whether the young limbs and twigs are pliable by bending them gently. If they snap under the slightest pressure, chances are the plant, or at least that portion of it, is dead. If the limb or twig bends easily without breaking, it will probably bounce back.

• Another test is to scratch the bark surface with a knife or thumbnail. If you see green just below the bark layer, that's a good sign. If you see brown, that's bad. In most cases a plant that's dependably hardy in your area will survive a sudden late-spring freeze. It may not look as good as it should for a while, but a little light pruning may make it look a whole lot better.
  

Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-401
•	Preventing Fungal Disease
•	Topsoil
•	Fruit Trees
•	Freeze Damage