Dealing with Cold Damage

[SonnyCrockett]

Well, we had a nice long warm period in January and February (high 70s and no freezes) followed by sudden hard freezes - three in a week.  Most of my plants had broken dormancy and flushed out, so I lost a lot of blooms and tender green growth in the freeze.  I threw some plastic sheeting over my trees, but I'm assuming they got too hot during the day, then cooled down too quickly at night, since a few trees had bark cracking on smaller braches.

Do you guys have any suggestions for helping my trees recover?   It's mostly fried leaves on top and some small twigs, nothing too serious.

[Citradia]

I'd say what damage is done, is done, and the trees will put out new growth around the dead branches as the weather warms again. Just don't want to prune off the dead stiff until no more threat of freeze. I had 14 and 16 degrees for lows for a few days last week and many hours below freezing this whole month with new growth started on some citrus in late February ye to the warm winter. I have to cover my citrus, except citranges, with 4 mil plastic and put small space heaters in each enclosure to keep the new growth from freezing. You have to uncover the trees during the day to keep temps from getting too high which just helps them to break dormancy even more. I didn't cover mine last night and it got down to 31 degrees but didn't loose any new growth or new flower buds. Before and after a freeze, make sure trees well watered. I'd say if new growth is already there, you have to try to keep it from freezing or won't get any flower or fruit that year.

[Millet]

In treating trees severely injured by cold, three courses of action are open. (1) Leave the tree alone: (2) cut the tree back to the ground: (3) cut the tree back part way.  Everything considered, leaving the tree alone is always the best plan.  For some time following a freeze-injury it is impossible to determine how much pruning should be undertaken.  If cut back to the ground, more of the tops may be removed than necessary, and if headed back part way they may have to be pruned over again at a later date..   There is no need for haste.  nothing can save trees or parts that have been frozen.  Much expense and labor is prevented by waiting until the extent of the injury can be determined. This cannot be decided until the new growth starts. (Cultivation Of Citrus Fruits--  Author Hume)

[SonnyCrockett]

I wasn't sure if I should give a little fertilizer to encourage growth or hold off.

[countryboy1981]

I would add fertilizer to encourage growth if the threat of cold injury has passed.  Although it was an overall warm winter here, we had one really cold night that dipped down to 20 degrees and caused mainly leaf damages with a few small twig injuries to some trees (which were not dormant at the time).  Now that it has all passed i put down fertilizer to get the trees to grow again. 

[Citradia]

The Hardy Citrus for the Southeast book by McClendon says north of FL, it's best to start fertilizing just before new growth starts in spring, ranging from February in "extreme lower south and as late as  the beginning of April farther north ". 8b is just north of FL so I'd guess you're good to go. I just noticed today that my citradia tree that went all winter unprotected and had just started showing new growth two weeks ago before the 14 and 16 degree lows a week ago, is now showing split branches near the trunk. Two years ago the trunk did split and I had to cut it to the ground. Came back up though. Trunk looks good so far. I won't cut dead branches off until after good long growth sets in a few weeks into April.

[Laaz]

I always fertilize March 15th every spring. As for the cold damage, wait until June & then cut any dead wood off.

[Isaac-1]

When addressing cold injury and dead wood, how long do you wait before pruning the dead limbs?  I think one of my mature Satsuma's took a hit from our unexpectedly hard freeze in January, it is in the most exposed location and lost  its leaves a few days after the freeze, has since put them back on for 3/4 of the tree, however a couple of main branches on the north side now appear dead with no new leaf growth.  (I am on the 8b / 9a line in Louisiana)

[Millet]

There is really no rush to prune, you have plenty of time.   When your sure all new growth has completed and no additional growth is going to happen, is the time to begin cleaning up your tree.

[Isaac-1]

I am following this up for future references, the tree mentioned above appeared to have lost nearly half of its main limbs on the north side of the tree, throughout the entire summer they still appeared dead.  Due to the hot weather we had, and various other projects I had going on I kept putting off trimming back the "dead" branches, and so when I went out to check on it a few days ago in mid October (we are having a very warm October here with highs still around 90F most days) I found new growth just starting on over 80% of the limbs that looked dead all summer.

[Millet]

Good for that tree.  That is why there should never be a  hurry to remove "dead" wood.