Hold on to your jasmine, because in spite of the frozen havoc in the northern half of the state, not all is lost in this year’s cold-ravaged Mississippi gardens. Many of us are in the midst of a real disaster, and will deal with it as best we can, but there are hopeful surprises already returning to landscapes zapped by woeful winter weather.
No question, crushing ice storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes turn otherwise healthy pines, oaks, towering crape myrtles, and naturally brittle pecan trees into ragged horticultural revenants. While consulting with fellow arborists on what is happening in the northern half of the state, we understand the losses, and the effort, expenses, and emotions. And time it takes to recover.
But before getting into dealing with the damage, a calm bit of solid advice to folks with devastated landscapes: Truth is, there is little we need to do, at least for now. Take stock, then a few deep breaths, and allow yourself and community time to work through this. After clearing enough to get you and property safe, take a wait-and-see approach, resist the impulse to rush out and do something; other than emergency removals, there is no urgent reason to prune broken trees and shrubs.
Important tip: This experienced tree consultant, along with fellow trained arborists, urge you to not grab at straws when it comes to having professional tree work done, especially if your homeowner insurance may be involved. Though busy, the good guys - the ones who can show you their required license and, crucially, insurance - can get to you. But a slew of poorly trained and uninsured fly-by-night truck crews are already starting to roam neighborhoods and can end up costing you far more than you might think you are saving. Happens all the time. Bottom line: If they can’t show you proof of insurance, they don’t have it.
That said, as we have seen countless times after wind and ice storms, even severely damaged trees which we think are doomed can survive for many years, sprouting new growth in the spring. At most they may need a bit of cleaning up to remove badly damaged stuff or make smoother cuts that heal faster, but there is no rush on this. Getting past immediate safety concerns, broken trees and shrubs can be pruned in the spring or summer.
Worst of all, and what horticulturists dread the most, is how sudden deep freezes kill the living, sap-pumping, green tissue just under the bark of some plants, causing even older stems and woody trunks to split wide open. We see this often with pittosporum, Japanese maples, sweet olive, star/confederate jasmine, and evergreen azaleas. Check down low for this, and, harsh as it seems, prune below the splits.
My advice for now is simple: If you haven’t already chopped dead-looking stuff to smithereens, don’t. At least not just yet. Clean fallen stuff and make plans to remove, as best you can, broken branches this spring or summer. Make neat rows and piles which may become plantable areas. Create a trendy and convenient “stumpery.” Where possible, leave dead trees as wildlife condo “snags.”
Meanwhile, in the next three or four weeks go ahead and prune roses, hydrangeas, figs, and other summer blooming shrubs like normal; remove brown palm fronds. Then look for silver linings - the bees that come out every mild winter day and enjoy ever-cheery (and cold hardy) daffodils, painted arums, violets, and even dandelions.
And remind yourself that gardening is not just about maintaining a static landscape; it is moving on while coaxing forth brighter new days.
Felder Rushing is a Mississippi author, columnist, and host of the “Gestalt Gardener” on MPB Think Radio. Email gardening questions to rushingfelder@yahoo.com.
