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Freeze scalded leaves, what should I expect?

6 years ago

First time this happened to my well established Endless Summer. It's my only Hydrangea. :)

After typical spring weather we had two hard freezes last week, with the 2nd having snow and ice. This was not predicted until the day of, so with strong winds all I could do was set a pot over them, which I've done in the past.

All new growth of leaves are scalded. I don't think there were any buds.

Will the Hydrangea bounce back?

Featured Answer

Oakley
Original Author

6 years ago

I'm in OK (Boomer Sooner!) and we got in the mid-20s, and I heard about the freeze we could have in a few days. I remember getting frosts this late but never hard freezes. Like you said, ugh!

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Comments (8)

luis_pr
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Very likely. If the stems were fine, it make take a while to leaf out again so, just wait. If the stems got zapped then new ones will develop since the roots should not have been affected; however, this too will not happen overnight so again, just wait. Think several weeks rather than days.... Just keep the soil mulched and as evenly moist as you can until there is leaf out or new stems develop... not sure about the status of the flower buds... flower buds from new growth may be ok as they have not been developed yet but the flower buds from last Fall may or may not have been zapped. They are invisible now so you will have to wait and see if you see any broccoli or not at around the time when you normally see blooms.
Oakley
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks Luis. And this was the first year old wood leafed out. Strange.
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luis_pr
6 years ago
Indeed, it has been a 'different' year. Here too.

I thought I was going to have a problem recently with temps plunging in April. Normally, over here, we do not see 30s as a low in April and we had lows in the upper 30s announced last weekend. Got nippy too during the day and had to get my winter coat too! Now I looked at the weekend forecast and we have another spell in the upper 30s again. I was originally afraid that these lows may get changed lower and lower as the days approached... until the forecast read "below freezing". Ugh. That would have been a problem as I already removed the winter protection, the plants leafed out a long time ago and half of the hydrangeas are in the broccoli stage. If the temps stay in the upper 30s, I dodged a bullet!

Hope you still have bloomage!
a1an
6 years ago
We're going to have the opposite. Low 40's. Friday calling 73. Sat calling for 79.

Then back low again.
luis_pr
6 years ago
Ugh.
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Oakley, your hydrangea should be fine. We got hit with late freezes the last two springs and the leaves looked burned. The shrubs looked terrible for a month or so, but then they produced new leaves and bloomed only a bit later than usual. I gave them some fish and seaweed emulsion to help with the new leaves, but I'm sure it made me feel better more than helped them :)
luis_pr
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Some of those seaweed products can be sprayed on leaves or dumped on the ground. Seaweed has many trace elements that all shrubbery needs so like all kids, give the hydrangeas some... even if they do not thank you. Ha! They will probably be fine without it (unless your soil is sandy or has few trace minerals). But, as you said, you will definitely feel better!

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