HOUSTON – Houston, we made it through the freeze – but now you might be wondering what’s going on with all those brown leaves or droopy shrubs – are those plants dead or will they bounce back?
Skip Richter, host of Gardenline on 740 KTRH, stop by Houston Life with his post-freeze timeline and some do’s and don’ts for homeowners.
First rule after a freeze: don’t rush to prune
A freeze can make healthy plants look lifeless, but appearance right after the cold snap is often misleading. Many perennials die back above ground yet regrow from the crown.
Resist the urge to shear everything off. Waiting gives you time to see what’s truly dead and what will reshoot. The biggest mistake homeowners make is cutting too much, too soon — and that can mean losing what would have otherwise grown back.
How to check for life — the simple scratch test
To tell whether woody stems survived, use your fingernail or a small knife to lightly scrape the bark.
Green tissue under the bark means the branch is alive; brown means it’s dead.
It can take a few days of warmer weather for dieback to clearly show. Also look for new growth on the crown or from the base — the plant often tells you exactly where to prune once those shoots appear.
Signs that need quicker action & other care tips
Mushy or split bark on trunks is a more serious freeze symptom, but it can take time to show up.
Meanwhile, don’t fertilize immediately; wait until new growth appears and stabilizes. Add mulch to protect the root zone and help soil temperature recover. When in doubt — especially with large shrubs or trees — consult a professional.
And remember Skip’s best advice for homeowners: learn to “live with ugly” for a bit; patience prevents further damage.
Skip will be a special guest at the Houston Home and Garden Show coming to NRG Park this weekend.
Listen to Skip on Gardenline on 740 KTRH AM, every Saturday and Sunday, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
CLICK HERE to connect with Skip and to find his online gardening guides.