What To Do With Frost Damage

Should I cut away all this foliage? The entire plant is like this.

Steve

Steve, I am sorry that your plant got frost damage. It happens for all of us now and then. Are the green branches looking fresh or are they looking watersoaked? What about the hardwood. Is the bark intact or has it become soft and fragile? There was another post showing the bark of a frosted Brugmansia. If the bark of yours have the same apperance one solution will be to cut the tree down in the hope, that it will shoot again from the rootball. If the hardwood is looking okay it will be sufficient to remove the leaves and watersoaked plant parts.

Here is a link to Christi's post, where Kelley posted an excellent photo of frost damage in Brugmansia hardwood.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/692036/

I can't see any damage to the bark. There are some tender green shoots, way above the Y, at the very top of the plant, that look a little damaged. I'll trim those so that I leave the healthy parts on the plant.

This is a Brug that only has 2 stalks - I had cut all the others off a while back. I was going to make standards out of these 2 - Kell had given me instructions how to.

I think the danger of frost is gone - temps will be in the 80s here in a couple of days, with nights in the 50s. I think the plant will bounce right back and grow new foliage in no time.

Thanks for your input, Tonny.

Steve

How cold did it get and for how long? Your bark looks good still. I would leave it totally alone. In a few days at your new temps you should see some new shoots appear at the nodes. If the tissue was damaged, that will show up soon too. Try to keep it on the dryer side for it has no leaves to use up the water. Water only when dry.

If the ends look like they are dead or rotting, cut them off well below the bad tissue and close the wound immediately so nothing has a chance to land on it. I use a special compound for roses, but you can even use Elmer's glue.

Here is one of mine rebounding. I have green sprouts even on parts that I thought were goners You can see the rotten branches too. I need to clean it up now that I can see what is what.

Thanks, Kell. I think the damage was minimal; upper 20s for 2 consecutive nights.

I'll do exactly as you recommend.

Steve

I agree Tonny, if the bark is mush no sense in letting it ferment and rot slowy and harbor all sorts of nasty fungus.

The other say I was so sad, I had to cut down my beloved Ruthie. It was a beautiful standard form. Just huge and so perfectly proportioned. I got so much joy out of it. But everyday more of the trunk turned to mush. So I finally cut it down. I am hoping it will sucker now but it never did before disaster struck so I am thinking there were no nodes planted under the ground.

Steve, your minimal frost damage was the worst I usually got in winter here for years. They will come back so fast for you. I am happy for you!!!

This last winter just zapped my brugs. We had temps down to 24 to 28 for 2 weeks nightly. I am cutting so many to the ground. Some do not even have viable stumps left, but froze all the way down. My husband is so happy. LOL

Here is a seedling that I just loved. And never took a cutting. A lesson to be learned, keep back ups. Send pieces to your friends. If a rainy day comes you will be prepared! I am seeing some itsy bitsy green coming out so maybe I will get to enjoy this one again.

I guess I should consider myself fortunate, that the damage wasn't worse. Not so with other plants; fortunately, I have a small greenhouse, so my garden won't be empty this summer.

Thanks for all of the great advice.

Steve

We would be truly fortunate if we both lived at Gary's house. LOL

Kell,

Sorry about Ruthie. Is't it funny how we can become attached to a favorite plant? I'm finding that in a way, zone 9 can be cruel - it lets us grow some wonderful plants for 51 weeks of the year, and that 1 week takes them back from us. I was devastated when I saw the damage the frost had done.

I've been wanting to take a road trip down south for a while - Captiva and Sanibel Islands are down there, and I hear it's beautiful. Not to mention that in Naples and Fort Myers, they grow a lot of plants that I can't.

Thanks for all your advice. I had already done some trimming, and I ran out to the garden with my Elmer's Glue after I read your post. The neighbors must have thought that I finally went over the edge.

I'm still looking forward to making the standards. They look great, and I think it will be a fun project.

Steve

Steve, I know how you feel, you are not to far from me, the only Brugmansia of mine that got frostbite was INSPIRATION as you see in the picture, but the seedpods and small green leaves are okay and sprouting already

My FIL lives in Naples. We may go to see him this year so I can't wait to check it all out. You are so right, we can grow anything here and then it zaps us in such a short period of time. I know I was overconfident this last year for we had such minmal frosts for years. Live and learn.

Burgle, your little standard is so cute. She looks like a great patio tree too. I bet she rebounds so fast. Your pod is cute too. I am so glad it made it thru for you!

Thank you Kell, i intend to keep her as a little Patio Tree like my Apricot Queen, because she has a little flower here is how she looked before the frost bit her.

just one more of Inspiration before the frost

I remember 'Ruthie' from numerous posts :) She's beautiful. The nodes appear to be there on the stem, Kelley. 'Kassandra' is like 'Ruthie' in that she don't have much of active nodes on the lower stem. I had to cut her halfways in 2006. That helped activate the nodes resulting in three good branches. If lucky, you should also be able to make it sucker from the root crown, but I don' t dare to recommend it as there always is the risk that it won't work for all plants. Maybe I was just lucky. Once I had to cut 'Ida' down to the root crown as she had aquired a local fungus problem. I thought I had lost her, but then she started shooting from the callus portion in between the bark and the stem core.

Burgle, I am glad that your patio trees have started to sprout leaves again. Do you know, how much I envy you three living in Florida and California LOL Your plants seem to accomplish in a short time, what seem to take forever here in zone 7. I also grow 'Apricot Queen' but it did not flower last season, so it is great to look at your picture and see, what it look like. It the one in the close up photo 'Ecuador Pink'?

Please excuse the pic as the sun is out. Butterfly is making a comeback but I am worried about V. Peach. She is showing no signs of life. Any way I can help her along or am I just wishing and hoping? All of the underplantings are toast so I guess it is time for a new layer of bark.

The KBS (affectionately known as "Monster") is reacting to being cut down to a mere 7 feet by trying to start over at the bottom. This fool plant has more suckers that any other brug I have. I guess he figures since everything else bit the dust, he can take over. Look at all that bare bark. I have a great excuse to go plant shopping now! LOL! The clivias did not seem to mind the frost either and are blooming up a storm. So much for tender tropical.

I feel terrible for all of the damage you had to endure with these freezes. The signs of sprouts give some hope.
Your inspiration is lovely, Burgele.
Kell, does anyone else have Ruthie that can share back with you?
Oh, she was my favorite of yours. I'm sorry.

Thanks for the pictures. Thats a big help for me. this is my first winter with brugs and after all the cold I wasn't sure how to trim them. Some of mine look dead. Some of them I started from seed last year and they haven't even bloomed yet. I guess I'll just go internet shopping and get some that won't take so long to bloom this time. I have alot of patience but now I want some instant gratification.lol

Kell so sorry about Ruthie. I have been holding my breath hoping you would offer up cuttings, she was one of my favorites.
Linda