After last week’s deep freeze, chances are your lawn isn’t as attractive as it used to be, and you might be tempted to prune away unsightly foliage. LSU Ag Center Horticulturist Heather Kirk-Ballard said not to because the damaged leaves will protect the plants from the next freeze.
“Some of those plants will come back from their roots if they’re hardy to our area even though the leaves may look kind of rough right now. Some of those things will bounce back,” said Kirk-Ballard.
Kirk-Ballard also discourages you from fertilizing because you don’t want to encourage new growth when we’ll most likely have another freeze. She said to hold off until late March, or early April to prune and fertilize your garden.
“Because then we can see if there was any damage. We can remove the damaged leaves or stems, once we see that new growth, and then you can fertilize at that time,” said Kirk-Ballard.
To further protect your plants, especially the tropical or tender ones that received damage, Kirk-Ballard said to keep them covered and to add mulch.
“If the crown of the plant is still alive and the roots are still alive, they’ll come back and flush out some new foliage in the springtime, so just be patient,” said Kirk-Ballard.
But if you’re unable to resist the urge and choose to go ahead and remove dead foliage, she encourages you to then cover the plant and insulate it with mulch to further protect it.
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