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What do you do with badly frost damaged hostas.

9 years ago

Hello,

On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, we had extended hard frosts, temps were 28-30F for 8 hours on both nights.
My hostas were frozen.
Most of them had not even started to unfurl.
I don't know how to care for them as this has never happened before.
I am scared that if I cut them off to the ground they will die.
If I do cut them off, should I let them open first?
My Niagara Falls had 22 eyes, would have been magnificent.

Niagara Falls.

Am, hoping someone can help with advice.
Feel so sad.

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Comments (6)

in ny zone5
9 years ago
When this happened to me in the past, I did not do anything. The first leaves will be damaged, but new leaves will form and in July/August plants will look good again. Do not cut off damaged leaves because the good part will still be producing. I would cut off lateron the dried part of leaves and very bad looking leaves after new leaves have fully formed.
The same also applies to hail damage. There were comparisons given in the Hosta Journal, people who cut off all damaged leaves lost, had small plants next year.
Bernd
0
hosta_freak
9 years ago
I would cry,but I don't. It happened to me in April. Don't cut off the leaves yet. The new leaves may even cover up a lot of the damage,as some of mine did. Phil
0
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
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once they dry.. then start removing some of the crumbier stuff ..

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0
maggiepie_gw
Original Author
9 years ago
Bernd, Phil and Ken,

Thank you for the replies. I feel somewhat more optimistic now. Bridal Falls totally lost its structure and leaves are just lying on the ground.
Choo Choo Train not much better. Sagae is half lying on ground.
This morning I noticed that both Queen of the Seas and my Tokudama which are still tightly furled, seem to be oozing drops of liquid. Not sure if it is water or some sort of plant sap.
Not sure what it means.
Both plants' eyes were translucent the morning after the frost.

Any ideas?

helen
0
Babka NorCal 9b
9 years ago
You have cold damage. You cannot fix the already damaged leaves. Just leave them alone and they will surprise you.

-Babka
0
User
9 years ago
Bless your heart, MaggiePie, it is a sad day when this kind of thing happens.

I'll show you the one I now know had frost damage when one eye was out ready to unfurl. It looked gross, but I left it alone. Subsequent eyes emerged, and they look fine.

None Lovelier. I'm leaving the leaves there, because if I remove them, it might cause the hosta to be reduced in size and perhaps maturity next year. I hate it, but those are battle scars.
0

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