Even though the landscape looks bad
it will grow back. Take it from one who has been through numerous Florida
freezes the landscape can regenerate itself and may be a lot better
looking too. Many of our plants have become overgrown and out of bounds.
In this case mother nature did the pruning and all you have to do is
remove the debris.
By now you should be getting a pretty good idea what is dead and what is
alive. If the leaves are brown and the stems are brown, neither are doing
anything for the plant. After many years of observing freezes I don’t
believe the brown debris provides very much if any cold protection. So my
suggestion is cut the declining plant portions back into healthy wood.
Some plants will be to the ground. Will they come back? Most will, but you
have to be patient and wait maybe for months. I once waited for a croton
to recover until July when it sent shoots up from below the soil line.
Frankly I had given up on the plant. If you cannot wait this long give the
plants at least a month or two. The roots underground are well established
and can push out quick growth once they get started.
My rule on pruning after a freeze is, when you cannot stand the brown it
is time to do the pruning. Now, there are many more things to do on this
month’s list of Gotta Do’s.
Tom's Gotta-do's
for February, 2010
Allow lawns to recover from the cold
with normal care.
Water when the soil begins to dry
usually once a week or less.
Delay feedings until the end of the
month or early March.
Select a lawn fertilizer with little
or no phosphorus, the second number in an analysis
Rake out the cold damaged grass
blades if you cannot stand the brown when new growth begins.
Apply preemergence herbicides to
prevent crabgrass seeds from germinating by mid month.
Live crabgrass
sprigs must be removed from lawns for a preemergence herbicide to be
effective.
Take time to have a soil acidity test
made and readjust the soil pH if needed. .
Seeding of new lawns can begin by mid
month.
Maintain normal grass height; mow as
needed to keep the lawn attractive and control weeds.
Treat weed infested lawns with the
appropriate herbicide when lawns begin vigorous growth.
Replace cold damaged vegetables with
the cool season crops during early February.
Hurry to start transplants from seed
of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants for March planting.
Keep covers handy to protect new
plantings from possible late season frosts & freezes.
Till and enrich sandy soils with
organic matter before starting new plantings.
Plant container gardens to enjoy
vegetables and herbs on porches and patios.
Reshape citrus trees and trim grape
vines in February before flowering begins.
Feed all fruit producing trees,
shrubs and vines in late February.
Major pruning is needed in most
landscape to remove cold damage.
Prune back to healthy wood which may
be to near the ground.
Now is a good time to reshape
overgrown and out of bounds plantings.
Give plants adequate time to recover,
which may be months, before making a replacement.
Remove only seed heads, small stems
and suckers from crape myrtles.
Prune ornamental grasses to within a
foot or two of the ground.
Give all but climbing roses a first
of the year pruning around mid month.
Trim back out of bounds perennials;
remove old flower heads and seed pods.
Keep holiday plants another year in a
bright window or on the patio during warm days and begin feedings.
Begin landscape tree, shrub and
flower feedings if needed for growth and foliage color.
Feed container gardens every other
week or use a slow release fertilizer.
Start seeds of warm season annuals
and long lasting perennials.
Plant new trees and large shrubs 20
feet or more from homes; at least 10 feet from sidewalks and
driveways.
Maintain a mulch layer around trees
starting a foot from the trunks; six inches from the base of shrubs.
Replant declining container gardens.
Begin every other week feedings of
orchids by month’s end or apply a slow release fertilizer.
Form compost piles of leaves plus
thin layers of soil and a little fertilizer.
Divide and transplant perennials.
Clean lily ponds
Trim overgrown petunias, begonias and
impatiens to increase flowering.
Transplant pot bound plants to
slightly larger containers.
Move lanky and yellow plants into
higher light.
Replace declining plants with new
selections
Wash away pests and dust from house
plants.
Trim faded flowers from forced
amaryllis bulbs and add the bulbs to the garden.
