Frost/Freeze Damage to plants

ROBBIE SMITH COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT FOR HORTICULTURE

What we just experienced is not that abnormal for Kentucky. The old adage “if you don’t like the weather stick around” holds true. What has changed is the disconnect from having to make decisions based on the weather and observations. A gut feeling for the weather of the growing season was all the farm families of yesteryear had when deciding whether to plant or not. My uncle recently told me a story of planting an acre of tomatoes in the early ’50s (on black plastic nonetheless, and in Manton) in mid-May and losing them to a frost. We once lost a tobacco crop to a late frost. So these things happen.

What was different about this is the freeze that came. Many of our plants can handle a frost (remember frost can occur at 36 degrees) but the freeze was a surprise to many of our most loved natives. For example, Walnut, Pecan, Mulberry, and Catalpa all were frozen and will be set back as a result. My Catalpa was frozen twice this year that will not bode well for its continued success. Frost typically only causes superficial problems (what looks like a burn) to our hardier plants but the freeze causes structural damage at the cell level and often results in the death of tissue or entire plants. For example, Beauty Berry was leafing out in April when the last freeze occurred and the result is the death of the top of the plant. They have not yet begun to put new growth out from the bottom (or root system). Patience will be the virtue of the day going forward because patience and time will tell the full story of many plants in the landscape.

Our false sense of security comes from the retailers tempting us with their wares about a month and a half before we should be even considering planting. I saw tomato plants available on March 16th (that is nuts). The winner in this is the transplant grower that gets to sell you transplants multiple times in a season. S

o with what just happened weather-wise, we will undoubtedly see some plants stressed in the coming season and will need to pay close attention as we enter into a hotter and potentially dry time of year. A little TLC will go a long way in encouraging their long-term survival.