Did Your Garden Survive The Freeze?
Advice From A Landscaping Company in Houston
This spring, Houston landscaping companies have their work cut out for them. Following the recent freeze, many formerly proud yards are looking more like graveyards with drooping palm trees, brown leaves, and destroyed flower beds.
In this article, landscape design and horticulture experts L3 Design answer all your frost-damage-related questions and share how you can avoid doing further damage to your garden during your spring cleanup.
Has the Houston Freeze left your garden in desperate need of a pick me up?
In addition to wreaking havoc on our water tanks, pipes, and internet connections, the recent weather in Houston has left a lot of people's gardens looking worse for wear.
When the frost starts to lift, it can be tempting to prune and uproot the plants that are looking a little worn out after the winter months. Before you start tackling your frost-damaged plants, we encourage you to read this article from our Houston landscaping company, L3 Design.
We are a team of professional landscaper design professionals serving the Houston area. Following the freeze, we are sharing advice with Houston locals on how to assess and best restore your front yard and back garden to their former glory.
That way, you won't risk accidentally uprooting any plants that appear dead but are merely dormant. And if you would prefer your garden was left in the safe hands of a landscaping company right here in Houston, our full-service landscape design and horticultural maintenance team will have your outdoor areas blossoming proudly once more.
JUMP INTO SPRING WITH L3 DESIGN LANDSCAPING SERVICES IN HOUSTON
L3 Design is Houston's residential landscaping company that provides fully inclusive, turnkey landscaping services. We pride ourselves on our commitment to transforming people's lawns and front yards into their dream outdoor area.
Between us, we have decades of professional landscaping experience and have helped dozens of Houston residents turn their outdoor vision into a reality. We are and always have been native to Texas and so we are experts in the plants and flora that are native to Houston, Texas too.
If you are looking to revamp your outdoor areas this spring, L3 Design will work with you to revive your yard or garden, no matter how badly your plants have been affected by the winter weather. Our turnkey landscaping services and enthusiasm will transform your weather-beaten garden into the outdoor area of your dreams.
To make a request or get a quote from us, send us a message or give us a call. We are excited to make your creative vision our next landscaping project.
WHAT IS FROST DAMAGE AND HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?
Following the freeze, we have had many people get in touch with us to find out whether their plants can be recovered after being exposed to frost damage.
During periods of cold weather, frost causes the water in plant cells to freeze, damaging the cell wall. When this happens, plants become limp and blackened. Frost damage is made even worse here in Houston as the morning sun causes the plants to defrost too quickly and this can rupture the cell walls.
Unfortunately, if you left your flowerbeds exposed, your more fragile flowers are probably dead. For your evergreen plants, however, the plant's natural defense mechanisms are likely to have survived the frost. In this case, pruning too early may actually do more harm than good.
If you are eager to get back to gardening, there are certain signs that will indicate whether the plants in your garden need more time to recover or whether they have been ruptured by the frost.
If you are uncertain about whether your plants are dead or dormant, it's always best to get a horticultural expert to check.
ASSESSING THE PLANTS IN YOUR GARDEN AFTER THE HOUSTON, TX FREEZE
Is it dead or is it dormant? Discover the most obvious tell-tale signs that your plants have suffered frost damage.
PALM TREES
Despite what many people think, palm trees are actually members of the evergreen group which means they can actually survive and even thrive in damp and cold climates. Following the freeze, many of the palm trees around Houston have gone limp and the leaves have browned. If the plant still has green in the crown, however, there may still be hope.
In this case, it is best to avoid pruning and instead apply palm fertilizer and give your palm tree a chance to recoup as spring comes around.
ROSES
No matter what state your flower beds are in, odds are your roses have some life in them yet. This is the perfect time of year to prune back your roses so they can flourish in the spring and summer months.
LANTANA
Lantana plants are highly resilient and can survive droughts better than many other plants. When the temperature dips below 28°F, however, the chances are that lantana will die. The best thing you can do for your lantana plants following the freeze is to cut back the old foliage to just a few inches. This will make the area look neater and new growth can begin when the warmer temperatures return.
AZALEAS
Azaleas can survive extremely low temperatures. In cold weather, the leaf will droop and curl. The frost may have ruined any blossoming buds or flowers, but the azalea plant itself will continue to bloom following the freeze. Give the leaves time to uncurl and if you do attempt to trim them back, make sure you leave the roots untouched.
SHRUBS
Following the freeze, your shrubs may look a mess but the chances are, it's not as bad as it looks. Instead of uprooting your shrubs, cut them back to the root. Odds are that they will return in full bloom in spring.
FRUIT TREES
The trees in your garden may look like they did not survive the freeze, but give them a chance to recover before you prune. You can tell if a tree limb is dead by trimming the branches to about a half-inch above the part that isn't blooming. If it's brown underneath, the limb has likely suffered permanent frost damage.
Generally, trees that had not yet started to bloom prior to the sudden drop in temperature are more likely to have survived.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
BEFORE YOU START HACKING AWAY AT YOUR GARDEN, TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING:
If the plant has a green crown, avoid pruning
Trim messy shrubs and bushes down to the root rather than uprooting
If leaves turn brown and fall off, the tree may still recover
Any flowers that bloomed before the freeze are probably lost, but new flowers can still bloom
Even if it appears everything in your garden is dead, it's probably not as bad as you think
If you are eager to get your garden ready for spring, the best thing to do is hire a professional Houston landscaping company to restore your outdoor areas for you.
EAGER TO BRING YOUR GARDEN BACK TO LIFE? OUR LANDSCAPING COMPANY IN HOUSTON WILL RESTORE YOUR GARDEN AND GET IT READY FOR SPRING.
At L3 Design, we are experts in Houston horticulture and can confidently revive your garden without killing off any plants unnecessarily.
If you are looking to redesign your garden for spring, we will work alongside you to transform your weather-beaten lawn into an outdoor space that makes you proud.
We give our clients plenty of space to get as involved in the project as much or as little as they want. Equally, our full-service landscaping design solutions mean that we can totally redesign your garden even when you can't visualize the finished project. Either way, we will communicate with you every step of the way to make sure that you love the end result.
To make a request or get a quote from us, send us a message or give us a call. We can't wait to make the garden of your dreams become a reality!
