Recovering Your Greenery After the Snow with Expert, Sheila Gmeiner
The recent weather event we experienced January 21 st through the 22 nd gave us snow and ice accumulations and freezing temperatures in many areas in the North Florida Panhandle and South Georgia areas. This combination has affected our ornamental shrubs, plants, groundcovers and our lawns. The plants may recover in time and patience is the best remedy. Leaves that were frozen and look like brown mush on plants like Agapanthus, Philodendron and Elephant Ears can be cleaned up if unsightly. Refrain from pruning any foundation plants or shrubs exhibiting damage at this time.
Lawns will not look the same as a result of this weather event. The grass will have colors that
range from green to gray, beige or brown now that they are truly dormant. This pertains to all warm season grasses in our region regardless of whether it is Centipede, St. Augustine, Zoysia or Bermuda. There are some lawns that will not recover as a result of this freeze. Winter turf loss is generally referred to as “winterkill”. Two factors that can influence winterkill are the grass types and the microclimates in each individual’s yard. Centipede and St. Augustine lawns are more susceptible and vulnerable to winter turf loss. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is unpredictable and it is difficult to determine the amount of turf loss to expect at this time. The damage will not be apparent until the days get longer and temperatures increase during Spring warm up in our area. Expect the green color to be delayed as a result of this environmental response, and to any subsequent frost and freezes in the next few months.
shrubs transition from this freeze event. You can call us or stop by to speak with one of our associates in the store. You are also welcome to send photos of your concerns to me at sheila@espositogardencenter.
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