Winter returned, frost -bit shrub advice needed

19 years ago

Well, after 3 weeks of above normal temps(20+) that had me going like a madman we have had 2 weeks of below normal temps. For the last 10 days it hasn't been above 42 degrees and the last 6 nights it's been below freezing, last night was the worst at 21 degrees. Needless to say, everything that was making a run for it got nailed. Two hundred Mock Orange and 200 Bridal Wreath shrubs got all their leaves fried. Since I'm new to the flowering shrub game, I was wondering if anybody knows if they will bounce back or if they are toast. I was thinking on cutting them back to the ground and hope for re-growth instead of them trying to bud new foliage on the damaged bud area. I've got a call in to my shrub guy but he's out of town right now.

It looks like we've finally turned the corner with a high in the 50's today but it's supposed to freeze again tonight for the last time this week. It will be nice to not be tilling while it is snowing, that was just plain depressing.

Steve

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Comments (7)

Miss EFF
19 years ago
I feel your pain, Steve. We hit 25 and although some things made it thru ok --other things are toast. And will they take the 2nd freeze tonight?

Not to wedge in on your thread -- but how about Asiatic lilies? Some look great --but I have some that were 12-15" tall and they don't look too good!!!

I'm not sure whether to swear or to cry --- any advice is welcome.

Clink
goshawker
Original Author
19 years ago
It's been a weird spring Clink. Can't help you with the lillies but my shrub guy got back to me and told me to go out and bend a few branches. He said if they are still green and rubbery then it should bud back out fine. He said if the stems are brittle at all I should cut them back because the branches won't be able to support any leaves and will ehaust the plants reserves trying to do so.

Good luck,

Steve
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flowers4u
19 years ago
Steve - you might wait a day or two before cutting back...that way if the frost hits again soon, it hits the area already "dead"...not where you just pruned...that's my theory!
Wendy
buckster
19 years ago
Hey Ho Steve O

I'm so sorry to hear about ur troubles. Maybe tis will cheer ya up.

I was down at the orchard about a week or two ago and another grower who is a good friend of mine shows up and says how did you do. I was like with what. He says with the freeze dumbo. I was like huh, he's says well all my cherries are black and dead. I was like no way. Well u guessed it, I lost half my crop. I still have a sick feeling in my stomach. Well it will be tuff to pay the mrt. on the orchard this year. Oh well.

On a happeier note I been selling alot of lilacs.

My experience with frost is to leave it alone and see what happens. If you deal with emotion then u tend to cut it all back and one that is done you may have act too rash. I would wait and see what happens. Maybe if you want just cut some back. Time will tell and before you know it those plants will be fine.

I pray all is well, Tim
goshawker
Original Author
19 years ago
Hey Buckster,

I told you I didn't want to get int a P$%^&&)ng match with you this year. Sorry to hear about your frost troubles too. I guess I always figure theres a UP to balance the DOWN somewhere in the future. Hope the rest of the season goes well for ya. How's the knee? I messed my left knee up jumping off the tractor, nothing major but it sure slowed me down for a few days.

Wendy,

I'm gonna take yours and Buckys advice and just see what they do on their own.

Take care,

Steve
flowers4u
19 years ago
Buckster - sorry to hear about your cherries. We've been there too...many, many years, if not the frost, then the rain! (One year we actually hired a helicopter to blow the water off the cherries after a heavy rain right before harvest! Then we realized an empty BIG sprayer's fan worked just as well, just takes longer!) Last year we took all 127 acres of pears, apples, and cherries out! Everyone up here in OR is planting late variety cherries and I suspect in a few years there will be an oversupply!

Take care,
Wendy
buckster
19 years ago
Hey Steve and Wendy thanks for the kind words.

The knees better. I'm going to be really working on it the next couple of months. IT FEELS SO GOOD TO WALK AGAIN.

Wendy, don't you just know it. As soon as one person/farmer gets into something 100 more jump in also. Thats why I try to grow different things. I'm sorry to hear about ur trees. I wass at a farmers market the other day dropping off some products for a friend and there were like 4 farmers selling cherries already. Story of my life.

Oh Well, Take care and God bless,
Tim

Winter returned, frost -bit shrub advice needed

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Miss EFF

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Winter returned, frost -bit shrub advice needed

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Miss EFF

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