Sunday Gardener: Advice on pruning trees

Sunday Gardener: Advice on pruning trees with freeze damage

HEY, IT’S AVA MARIE AND IT’S TIME FOR SUNDAY. GARDENER I’M HERE AT VALLEY VIEW FARMS WITH KERRY ENGLE. HELLO. AND OH, THESE POOR TREES. LOOK AT THEM. WHAT HAPPENED? WELL, THIS IS WHY WE LISTEN TO YOU, RIGHT? WE WANT TO HEAR WHEN IT’S GOING TO BE COLD, WHEN IT’S NOT. SO A LOT OF THESE JAPANESE MAPLES HAVE STARTED TO LEAF OUT, AND WE GOT HIT BY A FREEZE. SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE FREEZE DAMAGE IS THERE. NOW I THINK WE’RE PROBABLY JUST GOING TO SAY, HEY, LET’S JUST WAIT AND SEE WHAT COMES OUT OF HERE. BUT IF A LOT OF THAT BRANCH ENDS UP LIKE I MIGHT GO BACK A LITTLE BIT LATER WITH A PAIR OF PRUNERS AND TAKE SOME OF THAT GROWTH OFF. INTERESTING. SO YEAH, THIS WAS A TOUGH SPRING FOR A LOT OF PLANTS. WE WERE COLD THROUGH THE WINTER. WE GOT WARM SO FAST THROUGH THE SPRING. AND THEN WE HAD SOME LATE SEASON FROST. AND SO PEOPLE MAY BE NOTICING THEIR PLANTS ARE LOOKING LIKE THIS. SO YOU RECOMMENDED MAYBE WAIT AND SEE TO SEE HOW THEY RECOVER IN MOST CASES. SO WE SAW A LOT WITH HYDRANGEAS THIS YEAR. WE’VE SEEN A LOT WITH AZALEAS AND RHODODENDRONS THIS YEAR. AND YOU JUST SEE THAT THAT DAMAGE. BUT IN MOST CASES JUST STEP BACK, WAIT A LITTLE BIT, SEE WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU DIDN’T GET BLOOMS ON YOUR HYDRANGEA THIS YEAR, YOU’LL PROBABLY GET THEM NEXT YEAR. AND LOOK FOR SOME OF THE VARIETIES THAT ARE LIKE ENDLESS BOOMERS. I WANT TO SAY THAT BLOOM ON OLD AND NEW WOOD. OKAY, GOOD TO KNOW. SO THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE AT IT. AND SO NOW IF YOU GIVE IT A FEW WEEKS AND IT’S NOT LOOKING BETTER, WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO KIND OF PRUNE IT? I TAKE I JUST TAKE A PAIR OF PRUNERS AND GO BACK AND GET THE WORST OF IT. BECAUSE THE MORE, I MEAN, SOME OF THESE LEAVES ARE HALF THEY’RE I MEAN, THEY’RE OKAY. SO THEY ARE DOING THEIR THING. THEY’RE COLLECTING CHLOROPHYL AND DOING EVERYTHING. SO ONLY SOMETHING THAT’S LIKE REALLY DEAD. YEAH. TAKE IT OFF. OKAY. GOOD TO KNOW. AND YOU KNOW, ANOTHER THING THAT MAY BE STRESSING THE PLANTS. WE’VE BEEN DRY. WE’VE BEEN IN A DROUGHT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. EVEN WHEN WE GET RAIN, WE’RE STILL NOT CATCHING UP MUCH. SO WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO ABOUT THAT? JUST MAKE SURE YOU’RE PUTTING A HOSE ON THAT MAYBE ONCE A WEEK, ABOUT AN HOUR A WEEK. GIVE IT A NICE SLOW SOAK. SO I KNOW IT’S BEEN RAINING, BUT UNLESS WE GET AN INCH OF WATER PER WEEK, THEN YOU NEED TO BE WATERING YOUR PLANTS. EXACTLY RIGHT. THANKS FOR THE TIPS. ALRIGHTY, WE’RE ROOTING FOR YOU. OKAY, COME ON GUYS, YOU CAN DO IT. HOPE YOURS DO THE SAME ON SUNDAY. GARDENER. AND IF YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR GARDENING QUESTIONS ANSWERED, YOU CAN NOW EMAIL OUR SUNDAY GARDENER TEAM. JUST EMA

Sunday Gardener: Advice on pruning trees with freeze damage

Updated: 1:33 PM EDT May 17, 2026

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Maryland experienced a late season frost, and some trees are showing the damage. If your garden hasn’t recovered, Valley View Farms has advice for keeping your plants healthy.