Pruning dead plant material can cause more harm through winter.

A hard freeze can make plants an ugly eyesore in a landscape or garden.

But practice patience when it comes to freeze-damaged plants, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife expert.

Michael Arnold, Ph.D., director of The Gardens at Texas A&M University and professor of landscape horticulture in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Bryan-College Station, said warmer daytime temperatures may give gardeners the itch to get outside and prune back damaged leaves and clean up dead plant material following a hard freeze, but they should resist the urge.

Plants can be damaged by temperatures once they reach 32 degrees, but a hard freeze – 28 degrees or below for four hours or more – can sting cold-hardy plants and kill those that are less cold tolerant. Whether a hard freeze hits in November or in February, homeowners and gardeners should consider their local average final frost date before any cleanup.

“There is a tendency to want to spruce things up, but if we do that too quickly, we can predispose the plants to even more freeze damage,” he said. “My advice is to be patient and learn to live with ugly.”

Patience best after freeze damage

Cold-sensitive plants like palm and banana trees or woody herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses may look dead or dying after a hard freeze, but Arnold said it is best to give them time.

Pruning too early can cause more damage in two ways. First, it removes dead plant material that can help insulate living tissue from later freezing temperatures, and it may also stimulate new growth before the threat of frost has passed.

Warmer days can activate buds below any premature pruning cut, Arnold said. Stimulating new growth that is then exposed to freezing temperatures will inflict more damage to the plant.

Plants that look dead may recover, he said. Dead tissue will be apparent when the plant breaks dormancy in the spring, and waiting will ensure plants with live tissue recover. At that point, pruning is not detrimental to the plant’s long-term recovery.

Arnold said gardeners should wait until the threat of frost has passed for the location, which could be the first few weeks in January in the Rio Grande Valley into March in North Texas. He suggests pruning around typical local “pruning” dates but said gardeners could act a little early if the 10-day forecast shows temperatures will stay above freezing.

Gardeners should also give high value plants and trees extra time to show signs of life through the spring before they remove them, he said. Some plants may look dead and might require some help and rehabilitation, but if there is live tissue, there is a chance of recovery.

“That dead material may look ugly, but it is Mother Nature’s insulation, and cutting plants back too soon can harm more than help,” he said. “You also don’t want to pull up plants just because they look dead. If there is live tissue in the crown or below the ground, they are likely to recover. Some gardeners may not like to hear it, but right now is the time for patience.”

Much can be done now to get a jump start on the growing season. The below tips, with links from the Utah State University Extension Gardeners Almanac, can help get you going.

• Consider adding a smaller structure, such as a low tunnel or a larger high tunnel, to extend your growing season.
• Try your hand at starting vegetables or annual plants indoors from seed to get a jump start on growing.
• Consider growing herbs and/or microgreens indoors to add fresh greens to your diet.
• If you are storing bulbs, check their condition to make sure they are still firm. Remove any that are soft or rotten.
• Prune grapes and fruit trees in late February to early March.
• Fertilize fruit trees at least 6 weeks before they bloom.
• Monitor for deer and rodent damage in the landscape.
• Avoid fungus gnat infestation in house plants by allowing the soil to dry between watering.
• Specific gardening information can be found at garden.usu.edu. Here you will find fruit, vegetable and herb growing guides, as well as information on soil, lawn, yard, tree, shrub, and flower care. In addition are monthly tips, the basics of gardening, information on events, classes, and more.

Americans celebrate Valentine’s Day with gifts of flowers, candy, cards and more. In 2023, customers spent an estimated $2.5 billion on flowers for Valentine’s Day. The rose is the most widely recognized and celebrated flower. Roses accounted for about 84 percent of the 2023 sales. Sixty-nine percent were red roses.

The rose is beautiful and versatile.  Roses can be used in any type of design, from classic to contemporary. There are an abundance of commercially-grown varieties available in vibrant colors, sizes and shapes.

Bloom size, shape, speed of opening, color, petal count, petal texture, fragrance, and foliage are all points to consider as you select roses for your event.

The rose symbolizes love, romance and passion, so it’s no surprise that red roses are the most popular flower choice for Valentine’s Day. By following a few simple practices, you can ensure the longest-lasting roses.

1. Roses often come in a plastic sleeve which retains moisture. The sleeve should be removed after purchase.
2. Cut 1½ to 2 inches of each stem with a clean, sharp knife or flower snips. Uncut stems cannot efficiently absorb water needed by the flower to open fully. (Current research suggests that cutting stems under water is not necessary.)
3. Remove any leaves that will be underwater once stems are arranged in the vase.
4. Follow directions on flower food packet to mix the right amount of cold water to food ratio into the vase. Flowers need to be nourished. Professional flower food generally contains three ingredients:
   1. Carbohydrate – (sugar) nutritional source
   2. Acidifying agent – lowers the solution pH and improves water uptake
   3. Microbiocide- reduces microbial growth
5. Arrange freshly cut stems into the vase.
6. Check the water level daily, repeat steps 2-5 every 2-3 days so flowers last as long as possible. Keep flowers away extreme cold, heat, direct sunlight and sources of ethylene gas (fruits and vegetables). (Irina Sheshukova)