What should you do about frost-damaged plants? The short answer is NOTHING (yet)!.
Frost-damaged Citrus.
With most frost-damaged plants it is best to wait until all danger of further damage is past. The damaged branches and leaves help protect the rest of the plant from more extensive damage if cold temperatures occur again! Also, the damage may be only to the leaves and not the branches themselves. In fact, if you can be patient enough, it is best to wait until the plant is growing again so you can see exactly where the damage stops and prune away only those parts that are dead.
An exception would be “Mexican” or red-bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherima) , any of the Bouganvillea (sp) and any of the Lantana (sp). These can be trimmed to the ground after the first frost. They will re-sprout and grow out nicely in one season. We usually cut them back and clean them up any time it is convenient during the winter.
Leave a Reply