I agree--I'd prune back anything damaged and wait to see what happens in spring. One sign I've found pretty reliable is that if the whole plant goes see-through/mushy it is a goner. If not, there is hope. Good luck!!

There is nothing you can do at this point but wait and remove permanently damaged portions as already advised.

If you ever have to do this in Winter again, WRAP them with sheets of newspaper taped together (several layers) or towells and blankets. Smashing a few leaves in the wrapping is much better than freezing the plants.....

I am constantly amazed at how dead a plant can look from cold damage and still come back, often better than before. I have limited space for winter storage and leave many plants outside, sometimes with covering but sometimes in a place I thought mistakenly was protected. Our winter temperatures are seldom much below freezing, but that's enough to give them considerable damage sometimes. They often freeze all the way back to the soil level, but come back very well (I hope that holds this year!) The advise to refrain from over-watering is important too, but patience is most important.

I had the same type of problem
Went away on vacation for a week and came back to a freezing cold house. The thermostat broke sometime while I was gone and the house was at 36 degrees, not sure for how long. My Draceana Marginata and Sanseveria escaped the cold unscathed and show no signs of distress. My ZZ's show some sign of wilting which once temperatures came back to normal in the house they sprang back but there is noticable "synging" along the leaf outlines. Of course the one plant I'm obsessed with (ficus lyrata) is now showing the most damage. When I first got home it was the first plant I checked, leaves were still green and healthy and the only sign of shock was the new leave buds had shriveled. It was almost bone dry so the next day I watered it when the house was back to 68degrees. Then, the day after that I noticed black spots randomly on some leaves anywhere from the top all the way to the bottom. Not sure what's going to happen to this guy but I guess time will tell. A little nervous to start pruning him already when he's probably on low energy reserves.

I have a miniature pear tree and I live in upstate New York. It's in a pot and I bring it in at the beginning of each winter. I brought it back out too soon and it was out in below freezing 1-2 nights. It had started to bud but stopped after that and the tips are dark reddish brown. It is still solid in the pot. I had watered it when I first brought it out and now the soil is dry. Not sure what to do . Can anyone help???

If it's a Pyrus, your plant NEEDS a cold, dormant winter rest - as it would get in an unheated garage. Might as well leave it outdoors now and be very careful not to over-water. If the conspicuous buds have been killed, the plant has other latent buds waiting to take their place. The difference is, the conspicuous buds had their own energy supply (starch) at the base of each bud to provide the energy needed to push the first generation of leaves. The secondary or inconspicuous reserve buds will rely on the plant's energy reserves for the energy to push the new flush of growth, so survival depends on those reserves.

BTW - trees that need a dormant period, when deprived of that dormant period, usually grow poorly and then collapse sometime in the next growth cycle - usually in summer.

Al

Thank you. I do put it in an unheated garage. We had 'spring' so I brought it out and then the temps dropped for a couple of nights and I forgot to bring it in. Do I water it again, the soil has dried out as I watered it about 2 weeks ago when I first put it out. Or just be patient. I have it outside in indirect sun. temps at night are in the mid 40's to low 50's

You need to water it before the soil dries completely; fertilize it regularly - a synthetic soluble fertilizer like Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 or Miracle-Grow 24-8-16 or 12-4-8 are good choices with the Foliage-Pro getting the nod for a number of reasons; and take care of root maintenance at least every 2-3 years. This plant is OK outdoors but should be protected from frost.

Al

How are the plants looking now?

It's not looking good. I had watered a few weeks ago when I first took it out and now the soil was dry so I watered it a bit more. Each morning I look at it and it looks like it has spider web threads. It's not a web but it has very light strands on it and I take them off but the next day new ones are back. I don't know what that means. I had been told by a local nursery not to feed because it would stress it..

Treat for spider mites. A 50/50 mix of 70% rubbing alcohol: water in a spritzer will keep them in check. Is it outdoors or indoors? It should be outdoors unless a frost/freeze is in the forecast.

Al

The tree (dwarf pear tree) has not bloomed yet. There are no leaves. Would it still have mites?

If there is sap flowing it can have an active population of mites. How about a good close-up picture of what you're describing?

Al

how to treat plants that got yellow leaves from cold shock. these plants where outdoor and we moved them indoor

Diamond, the bad news is, yellow leaves will either fall off, 'depending on plant type,' or you'll have to remove them.

The good news is, 'unless roots completely froze,' foliage will regrow. 'Again, depending on plant type.'

Good luck. Many of my poor guys are experiencing the same shock.

DL - what type of plant and what temperature were they exposed to? for how long?

Al