The winter cold can affect both garden and apartment plants. If your plants have frozen in winter, it’s time to take action to save them. Here’s what you have to do!
Plants are sensitive to cold, and most of them can be seriously affected by frost. But, there is still hope and some of them can be saved from frost if they receive special care.
How does a frostbitten plant look like?
Depending on the plant type, its appearance may vary considerably. Usually, a frozen plant has dry, brown or soft leaves. In the case of woody plants, the stem begins to peel or cracks may appear on its surface (depending on how much the plant was affected by frost).
How to save a frostbitten plant?
Sensitive indoor plants, such as ficus, may not be saved after freezing. In the case of other plants, if frost exposure hasn’t been prolonged, you can intervene by removing the affected parts of the plant.
Cut all affected parts, even if it means cutting the plant almost entirely. Keep in mind that the leaves and the frozen strains can’t be saved and keeping them will harm the plant even more.
Always cut off the affected parts of the plant: a half-frozen stem or twig has big chances to be saved if you remove only the affected part, and then expose it to higher temperatures.
Warning: Don’t rush to clean your frozen plants before making sure that the danger of frost has passed completely. The already affected parts will protect the plant from further damage, so cutting them should only be done when the temperatures won’t get low anymore.
If possible, move the frozen plants to a frost-free place or inside the house, and then begin the process of removing the affected parts of the cold.
Woody plants and trees will show cracks in the stem. To help them recover from frost, cut off the bark and let them regenerate.
How to protect the plants from frost?
To avoid future problems, in the cold season it wouldn’t be bad if you cover sensitive plants with some thick clothing items that you don’t wear anymore. You can remove the clothes in the morning, but be careful to “dress” the plant again in the evening. As for the apartment plants, avoid keeping them on the balcony or on the terrace during the winter.