It's mid-June and many of our winter burned evergreens are on the mend. New growth is beginning to hide the damage and a simple brush of your hand goes a long way in removing the remaining brown foliage. Despite these encouraging signs, it could be one or two growing seasons before the plants look the way they did last fall. The good news is there is hope. Make sure the evergreens stay well watered and fed through the summer and you'll have done all you can do for now.
So what about those Evergreens that, despite some new growth, are mostly brown and still look awful? I'm afraid the answer is mostly more patience. The cool weather has many plants just putting on their spring growth and with time, they will see new growth as well. However, in this case, there might be some steps you can take beside waiting. As stated earlier, keep the plants well watered and fed with a mild fertilizer such as Milorganite or Miracid. Consider pruning back the brown branches until you find new growth or the stems become green and supple. Once we've given the plants a few more weeks and cleaned out the truly dead material, you will have a decision to make. Do you give the plant one more a season to grow back or do you move ahead with a replacement? Horticulturally, these plants will come back, but aesthetically it may be time to go. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
Whether your plants are once again flourishing or still looking sad, it if safe to say our landscape will continue to show the scars of the past winter for many years to come.
Vande Hey Design Center
