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Published on 01/26/00

Follow Flowers Injured by Cold

What can you do if your landscape flowers are freeze-damaged or dead from the cold?

"Very little," said Paul Thomas, an Extension Service horticulturist with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Thomas offers these helpful hints:

  • Remove dead tissues soon. They can lead to infections when the weather warms. Tan, brown or black tissue won't recover. If it's half green, don't bother it.
  • Keep plants dry if you can. You can't stop the rain, but don't water or wash the plant. And don't fertilize until spring. Give the wounds time to heal.
  • Watch for disease signs such as shrinking stems, black areas or brown patches that grow bigger on leaves or stems. If you see them, check with your county agent for proper fungicide recommendations.

Dan Rahn is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.