Winter Burn Leaves Plants Looking Dead

Virginia's winters can be incredibly confusing for plants in this area. The cold, rain, snow and then warmth cycles make it difficult for plants to adapt, and it's affecting landscaping throughout the area. 

If your plants are looking dead or a rust-brown color, they may be experiencing “winter burn.” The heavy snow and freezing temperatures we can experience in December and January causes winter burn on many plants due to the lack of water being transported to leaves when the ground is frozen, and the sun shining brightly, evaporating any water already in the leaves. As temperatures rise and plants begin to sprout new leaves, the damaged areas begin to drop off, leaving areas of the plant bare.

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It can be nearly impossible to repair plants already suffering from winter burn, but you can remove the dead areas of the plant and provide a healthy environment with new soil, fertilizer and plenty of water to allow for new growth. If the plant is completely dead and presents no new growth, you’ll need to completely remove the plant to prevent rot.

 

Because of the often-unpredictable Virginia winters, it is difficult to plan ahead and completely avoid winter burn and damage to plants without consulting a professional, or using a commercial landscaping service like Basnight Land & Lawn. This spring we will be addressing winter burn on all our managed properties.

 

Now is the perfect time to start working on your properties so they are in top shape and ready for spring blooms. If you need to repair winter burn damage or plan your landscape needs to prevent damage next winter, give us a call today at (757) 436-9617.