There’s a particular kind of sadness that comes with walking through your yard after a severe cold snap. Last week, with temperatures nearing 90 degrees, you could hear the birds chirping and the squirrels chattering as they prepared for spring. But even with the sounds of nature, my yard felt quiet. Like it is still processing what happened a few weeks ago. Or maybe that’s me trying to process it. The Mango tree that gave us hundreds of mangos last year is down to just a few old branches clinging to life. That White Sapote that I wrote about with excitement at the beginning of the year, because it had hundreds and hundreds of fruits on it, is now completely bare.
Gardeners feel it when their plants don’t make it. We remember every planting day, every bloom, every harvest. For us, plants aren’t just decorations and gardens aren’t just pretty to look at. Each flower, shrub, and tree has a story. We’ve invested time and sweat in each one. We’ve tended them and waited for them to bloom, grow, and harvest.
But at some point, Mother Nature leads the way. And in nature, loss is part of growth. A fallen tree becomes home for new life. A dead plant becomes space for something better suited. So while I know that you are feeling sad about your garden, or maybe even a little frustrated, it’s time to start bringing it back to life again.
Immediately after the cold, we told you to be patient. Wait to prune, wait to trim. The colder temps Monday and Tuesday of this week were why we preached patience. But now the waiting is over. The forecast looks warm, so our frost and freeze days are behind us. Let the cleanup begin!
For shrubs and trees that were damaged by the cold, prune back until you find live branches. You can do a scratch test to determine which branches are alive. Using a fingernail or pocketknife, scratch the bark of a branch lightly. Just underneath you will see green if the branch is alive, brown if the branch is dead. Prune and remove any dead branches, even if it means pruning a good portion of the plant away.
Continue to be patient with your plants, since cold damage can cause plants to recover and flush out more slowly than they ordinarily would. Hopefully, once we’ve had a few weeks of consistent warm weather, the survivors will have begun to put out new leaves and you’ll see which plants just aren’t going to make it.
As we roll into March, it is also a great time to fertilize plants with The Kerby’s Special or Plant-tone to give them the nutrients they need to recover and grow. And since we’ve been on the dry side, be sure you are keeping to a consistent watering schedule with your plants as well.
Spring is the season of second chances and new beginnings. It’s time to clear what didn’t make it and plant what will thrive. And at Kerby’s Nursery, we’re ready to help you rebuild, replant, and reimagine your garden for the season ahead.
P.S. This Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, we are celebrating Florida’s birthday and highlighting the beautiful and hardy native plants that gave our state its name. We hope you’ll join us at 10 am for the Creating Hardy Landscapes and Pollinator Havens with Florida Natives seminar.
