Don’t rush to cut back, discard your freeze-damaged plants

Bitterly cold weather has settled in across Louisiana and much of the country. If you woke up Monday morning to discover frozen, limp plants outside your window, you might be tempted to trim them or simply discard them to tidy up the garden.

But that’s not the best idea in many cases, said LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg.

“Plant leaves can appear burned or mushy from freezing, but their stems and roots may be perfectly fine and capable of producing new growth this spring,” he said. “As hard as it can be, try to be patient. It’s impossible to determine the full scope of freeze damage this early on.”