How to Save Outdoor Tropical Plants With Frost Damage

Frost is one of the biggest dangers to any outdoor plant, but it is especially dangerous to tropical plants. Tropical plants prefer warmer temperatures, and when frost occurs, the plants can be damaged or even killed. Whether a plant can be saved from frost damage depends on the extent of the damage. Although outdoor tropical plants can sometimes be saved from frost damage, the process takes a lot of patience and time.

Things You'll Need

• Garden hose
• Plastic sheeting
• Tarp
• Shovel
• Pots
• Pruning shears
• All purpose fertilizer

Instructions

1. Spray the plants with a garden hose early in the morning after the freeze. This melts the ice that is on the plant and can help prevent leaf burn caused during thawing. This will not work if the outdoor temperature remains below freezing during the day.

2. Take precautions to protect the tropical plants from further frost damage throughout the winter months. Cover plants with plastic sheeting or large tarps at night. For larger trees, cover the base of the tree with 2 to 3 inches of mulch to protect the roots. If possible, consider digging up the tropical plants with a shovel, planting them into containers and moving them indoors.

3. Wait until March to determine how much frost damage has been done to the plant. If the plant was entirely brown during the winter, it may begin to regrow during the spring. Look for signs of green growth at the center and base of the plant. If you see no green growth on the plant by the end of March, then the plant is dead and cannot be saved.

4. Prune the dead sections off of the plant using pruning shears. Cut off each dead branch or stem approximately 1/4 inch above the new green growth.

5. Water the plant with 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Additional water may be necessary if you live in an extremely hot, arid climate.

6. Fertilize the plant with an all purpose fertilizer once the green growth reaches approximately 2 to 4 inches high. You can opt to apply a liquid fertilizer or a granular form of fertilizer to the soil. Read the fertilizer packaging for proper application techniques.

References

• The Free Library: Gardener Shudder at Frost's Damage
• Desert Botanical Garden: At Home in Your Desert Garden