December 14, 2015 - John Thompson, Fluvanna VCE Agent, consulted with an arborist/professional pruner regarding the warm temps we are having, which is encouraging bloom/bud growth this week. With temps this weekend forecasting a pretty heavy freeze, there are a few thoughts regarding prep that we should be prepared with:
For plants that are blooming, or look as though bud break is coming, consider the following:
If it is a hardy plant such as forsythia, a maple tree etc, fear not the plant will recover in the spring! IF it is a more sensitive plant, such as azalea, quince etc., consider picking off blooms ahead of the freeze. Be prepared to prune damaged woody material before sap rise this coming spring. For VERY sensitive plants, insulation might be a thought….. small plants could be wrapped with burlap and the burlap stuffed with oak leaves or pine straw to provide a winter's worth of insulation.
For those folks who don’t act or have concern until AFTER the freeze this weekend, we encourage judicious pruning in the spring to remove dead/dying wood and thus protect plant health.
Enjoy the warm, prepare for the cold!
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