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Post freeze NTX landscaping discussion

16,286 Views | 140 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by EllisCoAg
2wealfth Man
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AG
Aside from all the primary heat, food and water issues everyone is dealing with, this one is going to be real hard on landscaping. Staring to see impacts now:

Wax leaf ligustrums - they are starting to brown in places on the leaves. I am going to have to wait and see if they can bounce back I guess. Not looking good however.

Pindo Palm - this was my one tropical plant which I wanted by our pool. We wrapped the trunk a good ways up. Limbs/fronds are starting to die. I think I am going to prune the dead fronds and see if the wrapping kept the trunk warm enough to regrow.

Roses - not much experience with these in cold weather. Should I prune back or just wait and see?
Ag CPA
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I lost about half of my St. Augustine yard in Fort Worth after the 2010 snowfall that stayed on the ground for almost a week, I don't know if this time will be as bad but expecting some sodding in a couple of months.

Gave up on palms after replacing them three times over the first ten years we lived in Southlake, loved them but I just could not keep them from dying in the cold snaps like last week and they are not cheap to replace.
Fannie Luddite
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Ligustrums and Sweet Olives may be toast, although I wrapped them in frost cloth. Boxwoods got hit hard in past severe weather so I'm glad I didn't plant any, though more hardy varieties exist today.
FincAg
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I pray all the ligustrums and privets die off so I don't have as much purple bird crap all over the place.
wbt5845
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Neil Sperry had a good column about this. Some things will certainly be lost. But his advice was wait a good long time before replacing - some things will just come back slowly.

I too am worried about my glorious St. Augustine grass. As long as some of it survived, it will take back over. Just will take time.
culdeus
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From talking to people that were here in 82 it took a full year to get gallon plants in enough quantity to replace the loss. I think you hold on and hope whatever you have comes back.

I'm worried a bit about tomato transplants. I mean legit tomorrow is the day we should be planting.
ftworthag02
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North Texas landscaper here, just hold off for a bit so you can see the full effects. Here are the plants that I would be worried about major damage or losing completely:
Wax leaf ligustrum
Pittosporum
Pindo palm
Mexican fan palm
Gardenia
Camellia (if it was in bud then buds lost)
Old Japanese boxwood
(We covered many of these plants especially pittosporum & gardenias last Friday)

And yes st Augustine especially if it is already stressed.
aggiespartan
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My roses still look a little sad, but they perked up a bit in the sun today. I'm holding out hope that they will be ok. I read that you are supposed to prune them in March/April after you are sure the last freeze has hit, but I might prune them a little earlier depending on how they look. I have no expertise or guidance telling me to do that and am just guessing.
ftworthag02
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We normally prune our customer shrub roses & perennials in mid February.
chick79
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During the December 1989 freeze which was similar to what we just had there were quite a few St Augustine lawns lost. Also some crepe myrtles did not make it.
YouBet
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AG
ftworthag02 said:

North Texas landscaper here, just hold off for a bit so you can see the full effects. Here are the plants that I would be worried about major damage or losing completely:
Wax leaf ligustrum
Pittosporum
Pindo palm
Mexican fan palm
Gardenia
Camellia (if it was in bud then buds lost)
Old Japanese boxwood
(We covered many of these plants especially pittosporum & gardenias last Friday)

And yes st Augustine especially if it is already stressed.

I'm going to absolutely hate myself if I lost my Pittosporum. I never even thought to cover them for some stupid ass reason. I only covered my potted plants which all seem to have survived fine.

Wax leaf ligustrum looks to be toast but that doesn't bother me because they are out of the way.

Even worse we just put a bunch of landscape in at my FIL's house in Rockport on the coast and got pics back today and it's all toast including about half of the stuff that had been there for 20 years.

Killing me.
CrawlingNo5
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Installed a sabal palm 2 weeks ago. Wrapped it best we could.
AgBQ-00
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I'm really hoping my year old st augustine is alright. We will see. Really don't want to re-sod
The Collective
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Planted about 4000 Sq feet of St Aug in October. I assume that I am screwed.
Bob Loblaws Law Blog
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Any chance this killed my neighbors crape myrtles that drop flowers in my pool 8 months out of the year?
YouBet
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Positive news: our synthetic grass in the backyard seems to have survived this.
Duncan Idaho
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ive been nursing some citrus trees for 10 years. THey are in containers and i will move them in my detached garage and put a heater on them during freezed. Sadly, I am pretty sure that they are dead. Really sucks because they were pretty consistent producers.
culdeus
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If it gets down to 0F does it really matter what you wrap and cover?
FDXAg
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Lost a cool topiary tree to the cold snap. Stinks because we work hard every winter keeping him warm and healthy, but 0 degrees was just too much.
Fslip01
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This was my first major hard freeze as a homeowner. Our house has some very well established St.Augustine that certainly had gone through hard freezes before (although prob not this cold for as long?). Should I be putting some pre-emergent on it or anything now that we have thawed? It's obviously still dormant.
Cramp00
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No. U need to sign up for this email letter and follow him on facebook https://neilsperry.com/
AggieFrog
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Bob Loblaws Law Blog said:

Any chance this killed my neighbors crape myrtles that drop flowers in my pool 8 months out of the year?

Not unless it snowed diesel in his yard.
ftworthag02
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Since the 2011 winter we are finding that some crape myrtle varieties are more cold hardy than others.
wbt5845
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I follow Neil Sperry's advice religiously and my St. Augustine yard always looked great. I'm sure hoping it comes back And even if just part of it survives, it will take back over eventually.

I saw yesterday the the area around my condensers was still green - keeping my fingers crossed.
bert harbinson
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AggieFrog said:

Bob Loblaws Law Blog said:

Any chance this killed my neighbors crape myrtles that drop flowers in my pool 8 months out of the year?

Not unless it snowed diesel in his yard.


True! I've found it's hard to kill a crape myrtle. Pretty, but not a good choice near a pool.
YouBet
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PSA: if you ever find yourself standing under a Crepe Myrtle tree and you feel this light, refreshing mist hitting you..........that is aphids pissing on you.
aggiespartan
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Trimming back my roses today, and pretty sure all 5 of my plants are ok. They are still green in the middle.
2wealfth Man
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lots of dead and dropping leaves now; ligustrums, red buds and privet
culdeus
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Bamboo seems nuked
harge57
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2wealfth Man said:

lots of dead and dropping leaves now; ligustrums, red buds and privet
Yep.. I am looking to have some serious loss.
longeryak
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aggiespartan said:

My roses still look a little sad, but they perked up a bit in the sun today. I'm holding out hope that they will be ok. I read that you are supposed to prune them in March/April after you are sure the last freeze has hit, but I might prune them a little earlier depending on how they look. I have no expertise or guidance telling me to do that and am just guessing.
We're in the Midwest and our roses go thru weeks of single digit temps, and dips below 0 F, every year without any issues.

Don't prune early that would most likely be the most harmful thing to do.

Around Tax Day is a good guide for DFW. Up here we don't prune until after Mother's Day.
YouBet
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My ligustrum and privet are definitely dead. My Chinese fringe flower, azaleas, and variegated pittosporum look to be dead. I have other non-variegated pittosporum that looks burned but still see some green on the interior. Really hoping that makes it.
Ag for Life
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I have 2 little gem magnolias that are pretty brown and crispy. They are about 12' tall or so and I'm pretty sure they are nuked. Maybe they'll put out new leaves?
AggieFrog
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Ag for Life said:

I have 2 little gem magnolias that are pretty brown and crispy. They are about 12' tall or so and I'm pretty sure they are nuked. Maybe they'll put out new leaves?

Have two 10' tall live oaks that are doing the same. Just hoping they're just dropping leaves and will be okay. Just have to wait and see.
Fannie Luddite
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For plants that have browned leaves, it is best to examine the branches before declaring it deceased. If the branches are still flexible and a scratch with your nail exposes green tissue, then your plant is still kicking.
 
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