Winter Storm Gardening Tips
Be patient, plants will need a little time to rebound. That recommendation sometimes is hard as gardeners we want to beautify our garden spaces. It is especially hard in the spring as we want to clean up and plant new flowers, vegetables, and other lovelies in our gardens. Our average last frost date is March 11th; if you view today outside as beautiful and warm, keep in mind, we may still be in for nighttime temperatures that could include frost. Let’s look at some categories of plants to care for while we wait on that average last frost date to plant tender plants. If you don’t regularly visit Central Texas Gardener, here is a link to their blog with always timely advice, including feedback about the winter storms here.
Evergreen plants and shrubs that had all their leaves turn brown would appreciate a little patience. Let the leaves fall off and see if the plant will re-sprout over the next few months. Wait through May for re-sprouting if you are uncertain if the plant is alive and safely left in place. Rosemary, evergreen shrubs, and yaupon would be an excellent example of these. Plants may sprout back throughout the stem or further back on the stems. Once this happens, you can see what is dead and needs to be trimmed off. More information is located here.
Winter vegetables, some plants have turned to mush broccoli plants were a good example. This will vary by the microclimate in your yard. For example, the cauliflower in my garden survived but not the broccoli; perhaps in your garden, it is a little different based on where the plants were located. I have removed all of my mushy broccoli plants to make way for other plants. Some plants were only mushy on top. I trimmed the leaves off of my bulbs that were mushy on top, leaving the green leaves to collect the sun’s energy for blooms next year. We are in the transition time to warm-season crops. So here is a category where I would say clean away to prep for your spring garden! Planting Guide
Check back for more tips in the coming weeks!