2011 Freeze Update April 1 So many questions!!! Is it dead or alive? Do I cut it back or wait? Should I replace it with something else? Unfortunately, it is impossible to provide a “blanket answer” to these important questions. Each situation is different, and each outcome will also be different. Is it dead or alive?   At this point, if it has not begun leafing out, the best way to evaluate it is to see if the twigs are still flexible. If they snap, cut them down. They may still [...]

2021 Freeze-5 weeks after Thankfully, many plants are beginning to show new growth after being assaulted by record-low temperatures in February. However, we are still not “out of the woods” yet, as some plants may be late to show signs of life. There are many that we KNOW either will not come back or will not come back satisfactorily, so they may be removed/replaced now. I’d also like to remind everyone that although we did get a bit of rain this week, we have been and are currently under drought [...]

One Month After The Freeze It’s hard to believe that it has only been four weeks since Winter Storm Uri graced us with frigid temperatures, ice and snow. We have already had so many warm days that it truly feels like spring! Our landscapes are once again showing signs of new growth. Live Oak trees are pushing out catkins which will be full of pollen soon, and tiny oak leaves are beginning to show.                 Many of our native plants are putting out [...]

There are few phone calls that I dread as much as the one from a customer whose tree trunk has been rubbed on by deer during the night. They wake up to shredded bark and want to know what can be done. Unfortunately, if the damage has gone deep enough to damage the vascular tissue, trimming off the loose pieces of bark is about all that can be done. This type of damage is NOT REPAIRABLE! The tree is not able to "grow" new vascular tissue. This is the most [...]