How to care for frost damaged palms & plants in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay can experience harsh winters. Areas such as St. Pete, South Tampa, and Clearwater that usually have little freeze damage can be hit hard. Many types of palm trees will turned brown.
Here’s some advice:
- Do not prune until mid-March. As ugly as the foliage might look, it actually serves as insulation in case we get another freeze. Wait until mid March, if possible.
- Don’t remove anything but brown. Even a little bit of green will allow photosynthesis to take place. Do not have your palms “over pruned” or get a so called hurricane cut. The more green you remove, the less healthy the tree will be.
- Systemic Copper Fungicide can be applied to the bud area of palms (no more than twice). This helps prevent fungus from killing the tree later in the year.
- Water damaged trees (within your local restrictions). Do not overwater or water at night due to fungus issues.
- Get your trees on a fertilization schedule (three times per year). Palms are able to fight frost damage better when well fed.
- Most importantly, hire an ISA Certified Arborist to evaluate Tampa Bay frost damage and perform work if needed.