Don't get rid of plants that might bounce back! Try these tips
Some of your plants might be in bad shape following the winter freeze.
But before you cut everything to the ground, there are some rules to follow so you don't get rid of a plant that will bounce back.
Plants are not cheap and the last thing you want to do is rip out something that will return to normal. You also don't want to cut back plants too soon.
"We can chill on it just a little bit. Take a breath, we don't have to cut back all the brown just yet," said GardenLine's Randy Lemmon.
Lemmon knows getting your yard back in shape is probably a target for this weekend.
However, he says rushing to get rid of brown plants is the wrong move to make.
His first rule is to leave that brown crispy plant alone, at least until we are certain there will not be another freeze.
Why? If you cut back the plant now, and we get another freeze, the plant can be permanently damaged if left unprotected.
When you are ready to trim, cut off the brown crispy parts until you see green wood.
"Over the next three or four weeks, we can start really with an eagle eye to see if there are cracks or rot, but the brown and crispy, I am going to leave alone just a little bit," said Lemmon.
But if you have mushy or gooey plants, get rid of that. Cut the plant back nearly to the ground where you'll be left with a tiny bit of green material. Cover that if we get another freeze to protect the root system.
"We need to get that out of there ASAP because we don't want the rot to set up any fungal diseases," said Lemmon.
Lemmon has nine rules for recovering from a freeze. Check them out on this page.
