"Hill Gardens of Maine -- Winterkill on azaleas and rhododendrons"

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Winter kill on azaleas and rhododendrons
by Fred Davis, Hill Gardens, Palermo, Maine (To view other articles, click Archives)

Welcome through Fred's Garden Gate! Skiers and perennials love a deep blanket of snow during the winter – especially perennials that don't loose their leaves in the fall. For skiers, it provides hours of outdoor recreation; perennials need "nature's mulch" to protect them from biting winds of January and February.

Readers will no doubt recall that January and at least half of February slipped by with less than normal quantities of snow. Rhododendrons, azaleas and most other evergreen plants were left fully exposed to icy breezes. Then came the snow...and how! Branches weakened by dehydration and wind-burn found themselves heavy laden with the heavy, wet, white stuff. Salt and dirty chunks of frozen slush flung by snowplows and energetic shovelers battered already stressed limbs...damage was inevitable.

Now it’s all melted away and Maine is once again thawed. Bent or broken branches of rhododendrons, and brown patches on some of our evergreens - especially Taxus (yews) - will tempt us to fetch clippers and shears. But Cooperative Extension horticulturist Lois Stack says, "Don't do it!"

Wait until at least the middle of June, she advises, because there's a fair chance that new growth will sprout from those apparently "winter-killed" stems. If by about mid-June nothing happens, then you can gently prune away dead parts and begin the process of re-shaping.

In the meantime, the best thing to do is keep them watered when they need it, watch for signs of insects or disease which quickly attack weakened plants and, most importantly, don't fertilize...the poor things have been stressed enough without having to contend with another dose of salts!

If your damaged shrubs found themselves either soaked or spattered with road salt, it would be wise to give them a good shower and soaking before even more damage is done.

One last thought: if your winter-killed shrubs or other plants purchased during 1999 were warranted or guaranteed, speak to your landscaper or nursery owner before you dig them out. He or she may want to see the damaged plant right where it was planted. That way you can be the beneficiary of tips or methods to avoid the same thing happening next winter.

On a different note, a reader asked an interesting question via email the other day about hosta and mulching. Since it’s a common query, I thought I’d share the answer with you.

An inch or two of light-to-medium mulch won't normally stop medium or large varieties from poking through. The tiny ones, however might appreciate having the mulch pulled back until fresh, new leaves begin to unfurl.

Mulch, on the other hand, could cause a few problems. Most barks, shredded leaves, moss etc., are acidic. Hosta like near-neutral pH...so you may want to periodically test and adjust pH with lime. Mulches (organic types - not stones) are nitrogen consumers, so you may need to supplement with some extra nitrogen to maintain nutrition for lush foliage. Mulch can also provide hiding places for hosta's worst enemy: slugs and snails. By the way, slugs and snails DON'T like neutral or sweet (alkaline) soils...but hosta DO. For more detailed information about control or prevention of slugs and snails, click on the link at the end of this paragraph. So, if you balance soil pH to please hosta, the slimy critters will turn and run. I wish more people knew that! (Jump to "Slugs & Snails")

Have a great gardening season!

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