Good Question: How much damage was done to plants during December’s deep freeze?

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - If that hard freeze near the end of last year left you with damaged plants, you might have questions similar to one a viewer sent us for today’s Good Question.

For today’s Good Question, Jeff asks, How much long-term damage has been done to local landscaping, evergreens, and bushes by the extremely hard freeze from back around Christmas?

Dr. Richard Durham with UK’s horticultural science program told us that damage may look worse than it is. He said leafy evergreen plants, as opposed to evergreens with needles, were particularly affected.

However, just because the leaves of the plants are brown and dead does not mean the entire plant is dead. He said some of these plants may have new growth come spring.

“I would advise people to exercise some patience before removing damaged plants or doing much pruning before plants have had a chance to resume growth,” Durham said.

If damaged branches are brown, dry and brittle, they are most likely dead and could be pruned back. Regrowth may still occur from the base of the plant.

Once new growth occurs, permanently damaged parts of the plant should be pruned. And if a lot of the plant is damaged with little or no regrowth occurring, then you can decide if the plant is worth saving or should be replaced.

If you have a Good Question you’d like us to try to answer, send it to goodquestion@wkyt.com.

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