Getting ready for spring – dealing with frost damage
Frost damage in plants results from the liquid inside individual cells freezing and forming ice crystals which then rupture the tough cell walls. When the cell walls open in spring, the fluid inside cannot be contained, so when the ice melts the fluids simply drain out causing the classic wilted, dark green, slimy look. While this damage is easy to spot, it’s not so easy to pick out damage to older shoots which can still surprise you later in the year by producing deformed growth or none at all.
Freeze damage is progressive within plants. The softest tissues - like leaves and tender new shoots - are hurt first. Tougher stem tissue and buds further from the tips withstand more damage but are not immune if the temperatures are lower and the duration is longer. Limp, dry and brown leaves damaged from frost stand out easily. Recognising how far down the stem damage has occurred takes a trained eye - or luck.
The wise gardener waits until the new growth starts in spring to find the point along the branch where the damage ceases. One important thing to remember - the more severe the damage, the longer it takes for the older buds to emerge, so patience is needed to be sure you’ve located all the damage.
When you find the exact point down the stem where the frost damage ends, you can make the appropriate decision as to where to prune. Either cut about half an inch above the nearest bud if it’s growing in the right direction or go further down and find another bud going in a better direction and cut the same way.
Frost photograph by color line, used under a creative commons attribution licence
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