Weston Logo

Weston Nurseries will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving, reopening on Friday.

Winter Burn

Winter Burn

Burn Square

Winter weather this past season had its ups and downs and now many plants are showing signs of leaf only or leaf and stem desiccation, also called Winter Burn.  Broadleaf evergreens seem to be the one types affected the most.  I have seen damage on needle evergreens as well. Besides winter burn we have seen damage to foliage because of root and stems freezing and thawing and lastly snow reflection on the plant. 


How winter burn or winter kill is caused can vary from season to season.  During the warm days from January through March the plants start waking up and are moving fluids through the plant.  Then the temperature drops at night.  This is a huge shock for the plant.  Look at the temperature swings we had this past year. (Diagram below from AccuWeather).  Also the roots are affected by this huge temperature swings.  The killer is actually the snow.  When we get even a little snowfall, the sun reflects off of that and warms up the stems even more during the day.  

I have seen many plants where the west side is burnt, or the tops are burnt.  This is definitely because of the snow reflection.  On some plants the foliage is brown and crispy.  Those stems that are flexible and have green coloration are probably alive, even though the foliage is dead.  If that is the case be patient and wait till end of May and see what leaves come back and replace the damage.  If the stems are brittle and break when bent, then they are dead. 

Those stems should be pruned back to the green part of the plant and wait until new growth comes back this spring to replace some of it.  If the entire plant or more than 50% is dead then you may want to remove the plant and install a different plant that can take the conditions of winter in that location.


I recommend fertilizing your plants with either Espoma Holly Tone or Neptune’s Harvest.  This product seems to help plants with stress.  Patience is what you need to have as well.  Damage that happened can’t be fixed.  This fall you may want to put more effort into protecting your plant in the winter which can help reduce some of the winter damage to plants.  We have a seminar in the fall called Winterizing Your Plants. I recommend you come in and see one of our Horticultural Experts in the fall and they can assist you with what preventive measures you can take so the damage can be minimized.

Share Via:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Print
WESTON NURSERIES

Weston Nurseries is committed to being a center for horticultural knowledge. Enjoy!

SEARCH TOPICS
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
SHOP

Shops Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials – in stores and online.

EXPLORE MORE
PLANT CARE
SOCIAL
SEARCH BY MONTH
Archives
EVENTS & CLASSES

Online Shopping at Weston Nurseries

We are excited to offer two unique opportunities to shop online at Weston Nurseries.

Farm To Door™

WN Online Shopping icons_Ship to Door
Plants shipped directly to you!

Browse our online inventory for a huge selection of plants available to ship directly from the farm to your home! Anywhere in the Continental US except states where prohibited by law!*

Shop Our Garden Centers

WN Online Shopping icons-02
Great for large plants and larger orders!

Shop your local store for plants, garden supplies, soil, mulch and more. Then pick up your order at the garden center or arrange for local drop off!

If you are interested in ordering gift cards, please click here!
*Some restrictions may apply to certain states.

FLASH SALE

Memorial Day Weekend Flash Sale On Hydrangeas!

25% off all Hydrangeas this weekend only!

Saturday, May 25th – Monday, May 27th! 

Hydrangeas are a classic and beautiful sign of summer. Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend by sprucing up your yard with some new hydrangeas. Discount applies at all locations.

*Sale Fine Print:

For “Cash and Carry” transactions only. Offer good while supplies last.

No open orders or deliveries for future dates. All Flash Sale products must be taken the same day. Not valid on previous orders. No transfers allowed between stores on any sale items.

Skip to content