What did we learn from that late freeze?

16 years ago

Not long after that late freeze, we all noticed the devastating effects on the new growth... it was pretty darn ugly.

Many trees stayed brown long after they should have been fully flushed out with their spring growth.

Listening to local talk shows, even the experts weren't sure if the trees were going to recover for the summer... or even if many of them would live.

Adding insult to injury was the subsequent drought. I was not looking forward to all of the chain saw racket as dead trees were going to undoubtedly be removed.

So it seems that the trees managed to recover although I suspect they are stressed to some extent.

The crepe myrtles looked truly dead all around my part of Knoxville, and they stayed "dead" for quite a while.

Fortunately they made it, although you can see that parts of their limbs, in some instances, did indeed die.

So what were the implications of the warm winter, cold spring, and drought? Any interesting lessons? and...

This is going to be a regular thing is it?

Thanks

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Comments (6)

stackpopper
16 years ago
gosh, i thought i lost my crepes. two still look anemic.

and i didn't get one peach. all the blossoms got killed.

what did i learn? don't count your chickens....
Amazindirt (7a TN)
16 years ago
I learned that container gardening is a GOOD THING. I simply carried in most of my tender plants -- my house was FULL of pots for a couple of days! I only lost one out of five Japanese maples -- and that one was killed because it was in the biggest pot, and I decided not to take it in. Lesson #2 -- take even the big pots inside when you need to!
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RedTurtle - you got that right! I remember the first time I learned that lesson, about cutting WAY back. About 30 years ago, I had this nice plain green spider plant. Loved it. Well, as it aged, it got very brown edges, probably from fertilizer salts. Well, it looked awful, but I loved it and rather than toss it without any effort to revive it, I took sissors and chopped everything off at the soil line and gave it some new soil. Within a couple weeks, there were new leaves emerging from the soil. Within a year, it looked like a million bucks! It taught me to never fear whacking a plant clean back to the soil. Now and then, I lose one (probably because I waited too long to whack...), but usually, it comes back with a vengence. Cindy - I struggle with imperialis, too. I restarted it last year and it went south again this winter. So I whacked it back and am trying to start cuttings, which aren't looking too hot as yet. But I do see signs of new growth on the stump. I just don't get it, I guess... I'm with you - I want it to grow for me SO bad! Dang thing! Which may prove I'm NOT a veteran! Ok, I'll accept "honorary veteran" because I surely have to be one of those who have been TRYING to master these plants the longest. We see Norma on here now and then, and I know she's been growing a lot longer than me, though I'm not sure about Hoyas specifically. Are you out there Norma? Tell us how long you've been growing Hoyas... Denise in Omaha
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behaviorkelton
Original Author
16 years ago
I was fortunate in that I was too lazy to plant four or five crepe myrtles in late winter... so they stayed in pots.

Then - the cold snap - I was able to bring them in along with a number of other plants.

They are now four times as big as they were a few months ago. Amazing. (Natchez Crepes) I went back to "Stanley's" (garden center in Knoxville) to buy more, and their crepes were devastated. They were alive, but really beaten.
anntn6b
16 years ago
There are two threads on the Antique Rose Forum that are about the devastation to our roses and to other plants as well.
I don't know if it was the freeze or the drought, but some of our large and old trees have lost major limbs, not in wind storms but in quiet weather, just healthy looking limbs dropped off. (Not even rotted at the center of the trees limbs). Thistles were set back and are blooming very close to the ground.
I see a lot more dead trees on the steep slope on the the other side of the Holston river and as many dead trees on the cliff opposite the UT garden as I used to see back when I was in grad school. There are some trees that have leafed out, but not densely and they stand out at the tops of hills and along fencelines.
Our poison ivy, horse nettle, poke weed and johnson grass has never looked better.
Amazindirt (7a TN)
16 years ago
Boy, *my* roses haven't been devastated. One of the benefits of living in the nice warm middle of town. :-)
utdeedee
16 years ago
The weather this year has really be devastating as has already been discussed. I am concerned about what the winter brings.

My 3 crepe myrtles lost some limbs but are now blooming.
Both of my rose bushes lost limbs. One is a yellow climber and it lost all but 2 limbs and I have had to cut it back drastically. It has had only 3 blooms. The other one I had to cut back to the ground but it has come back somewhat.

The drought is really hard on the veggie garden. Even with me watering 3-4 times a week I see distress. You can only water so much. It hasn't affected the zuchini though. I've had about 4 bushel off of 3 plants. It looks like it was fed steroids. :)

The only thing that seems to like the drought is my black eye susans. They are blooming profusely...

I drive Pellissippi Pkwy. every day and off in the distance you see quite a few of yellowed trees and the daffodils did not bloom along there this year as they have in the past.

Lets hope we get lots of slow rain soon.

What did we learn from that late freeze?

Comments (6)

stackpopper

Amazindirt (7a TN)

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behaviorkelton
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anntn6b

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utdeedee

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What did we learn from that late freeze?

Comments (6)

stackpopper

Amazindirt (7a TN)

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behaviorkeltonOriginal Author

anntn6b

Amazindirt (7a TN)

utdeedee

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behaviorkelton
Original Author