Can This Plant Be Saved?
Can This Plant Be Saved?
Responding To Winter Damage 2023
Our customers are asking: Can this rose bush be saved? Will my lavender and butterfly bush come back? Should I prune my Hydrangeas now, and will they flower this summer? Here are the answers to those questions, and how to know if it’s time to save a plant or say goodbye.
Why did so many plants die last winter?
In December of 2022 and January of this year, the temperatures were consistently above normal. We had misty, gray weather but only a dusting of snow, and most days were above freezing. But on February 4th, the temperature took a hard dive to 0° Fahrenheit or below. Those who live closest to the ocean on the south side of the Cape were largely spared the below zero temps, but no matter where you live, the sudden plunge was hard on many plants. We typically have such winter conditions every 7 to 9 years on Cape Cod, and the plants that usually suffer or die as a result are butterfly bush, roses, heath/heather, lavender and crape myrtle. Such cold snaps may not kill our blue hydrangeas, but they zap the buds so that these shrubs won’t flower well for the following summer.
Will my rose bush recover?
By early May you should see leaves growing on the canes of roses that made it through the winter. If you only see bare stems, and most of them are black or brown, that plant is probably dead. Sometimes you’ll see some new leaves and shoots coming from the base of a rose bush, but on most roses this growth is coming from below a graft. Most roses are grown on a hardier root-stock, but those roots will produce different size and colors of flowers; often the growth from the root stock makes long canes with red flowers. The photos below show what roses look like if they are dead, and the growth from below the graft.
Should I cut my lavender down, and will it come back this summer?
Lavender should be showing signs of newer, green growth by this point. If your plant is still gray and the leaves shriveled, it’s most likely gone. You can wait until later in May to make the call about replacement, but here are some photos to guide you in that decision.
I don’t see any growth on my butterfly bush. Is it gone?
If you see no small, grayish foliage on your Buddleia right now, it’s most likely dead. Butterfly bush typically break dormancy in late-March or early April. If there is no sign of that now, in May, it’s time to dig that plant up and replace it, either with another butterfly bush or something else.
Will my blue Hydrangeas live? Will they flower?
Most of the mophead and lacecap hydrangeas on the Cape are still alive, but they won’t bloom well in the summer of 2023. Here are some photos that will guide you in your cleanup and pruning.
Can I move a Hydrangea that had gotten too large?
Yes, and this is a great year to transplant any too-big mophead or lacecap hydrangea, since they won’t flower well anyway. Dig the plant up in early May and move it to a location where it can grow as large as its genetics dictate. You can divide the clump into two or three pieces if you want, making more of the same plant. After planting, water them in well and top-dress around the plant first with a light application of Bio-tone, then with an inch of compost that goes well beyond the dripline, and finally with an inch of mulch to keep the weeds down and the moisture in the soil.
Will all types of Hydrangea be without flowers this summer?
The panicle (Hydrangea paniculata) and smooth (Hydrangea arborescens) Hydrangeas are hardier and always flower on new growth. They will bloom as they normally do. You should be seeing signs of new leaves on the stems of the smooth Hydrangeas now, and panicle type will be breaking dormancy soon.
How do I decide if a damaged plant is worth saving? Will fertilizer help?
There are several things to consider when you make the call about removing a damaged plant or waiting to see if it recovers. First, is this a sentimental plant? Is it a rose that you got from your grandmother, or a plant that was given to you by a dear friend? We tend to give plants that are associated with loved ones a longer time to come back. If you have such a plant, give it a very light application of Plant-tone, and spread an inch of compost around it to beef up the soil. Water the plant deeply once a week through the summer, especially if the weather is hot and dry.
Plants in prime locations that are severely damaged may need a quick replacement. When a damaged plant is in the front of our homes, or next to a door we use frequently, it’s probably a good idea to dig it out and install something new in that spot.
Although a light application of an organic fertilizer isn’t going to hurt, that’s not the answer to severe winter damage. Compost or composted manure will help keep the soil around a damaged plant healthy, so spreading an inch on the surface of the ground is never a bad idea. A deep watering once a week over the summer, making sure to get the entire area around a plant wet, will also help with recovery.
The loss of some plants is an opportunity.
Since plants are living things, we have to expect that sometimes they die. Whether a plant goes from a particularly drastic cold snap, a disease, old age, or some other cause, view the loss as an opportunity to plant something new. There are so many exciting, recently introduced varieties that it can fun to choose new shrubs, trees or perennials for your yard and garden. Enjoy!
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I had a rose (8 yrs) that had ‘canker’ that also didn’t survive from cold. I have removed it, but I was told if a rose bush was diseased all the soil had to be removed before another rose could be planted in that spot. True/False? What do I do with the soil?
Thank you so much for all the wonderful news and the pictures were plus. My whole front yard is a garden and I had a lot of loss this past winter. I must have lost at least 10-12 lavender plants. I have several butterflies bushes and only 1 seems to have any green at the bottom which is a shame. My hydrangeas took a big hit as well. My lace cap seems to be doing okay but I’m concerned about my pinky winkies which I have formed into small trees and cut back pretty drastically but I do see a few little buds so I am hopeful….I do appreciate all the information! Many thanks😊
Always very helpful information and advice. Thanks for holding your hand as we walk through yet another “interesting opportunity“ season.
Cal
Hi CL…I have a large patch of Solomans Seal that is not growing. This has never failed me. What’s up. I live on the Northside near the bay. Yes, we did experience the below 0 temps and winds.
Would that kill off Solomans Seal? The ground did not freeze.
It’s more likely that your Soloman’s Seal was done in by the drought last summer, not by the winter. You’re right that the ground didn’t freeze much deeper than an inch last winter.
How do I know if my heath is dead. I have 12 bushes around my patio. Some look better than others. Will cutting back help?
The ones that are dried and brown are gone – you can decide about others after you prune them. Remove all dead areas and see if you can live with how they look after that. Sometimes you can bury a random stem and it will root…but many people don’t want to wait 4 years or more for the plant to look good again.
This is the most thorough and excellent excellent explanation of what’s going on in my garden this year. The pictures were a terrific help as was the narrative. This article should be written in the Cape Cod Times and shouted from the sandy dunes of Sandy Neck. I can’t thank you enough. I was reluctant to pull out my 11-year-old roses, but now you’ve give me the information I need to do so. Thank you so much for your knowledge.
Think the drought killed my spring planting 2021 dwarf Alberta spruces? Or the cold snap?
It was most likely the drought…Dwarf Alberta spruce are pretty cold-tolerant.