The harbingers of spring include forsythia, daffodils, and the sounds of birds. The sunny days and warmer temperatures allow us to be outside more. While outside, you might notice some plants that look concerning. The following article contains some general recommendations for you to consider if you have plants that donât look their best.
So your shrub died, whatâs next? First, determine if it is really dead. The lack of leaves certainly is an indicator that there is cause for concern but just because it doesnât have leaves in the spring, doesnât mean it is dead. To better determine if there is any sign of life in the shrub, gently scratch the surface of a few branches with your finger nail or a sharp knife. If underneath the bark is green, then that would be a sign that the plant is still alive. If the tissue underneath is brown, then that particular part of the branch is dead. Certain plants do tend to leaf out later than others. Rose of Sharon would be an example of a shrub that is very slow to leaf out in the spring.
If the shrub is really dead, then try to determine why it might have died. If it looked perfectly healthy for the majority of the previous year, then it might have died over the winter due to winter hardiness. The United States is broken up into hardiness zones. The United States is broken into 26 zones ranging from 1a to 13b. The zones are determined by the Average Annual Extreme Minimum Temperature from 1976-2005 in the various zones. We are in zone 5B with a temperature range from -20 to -15. So if we have plants in our yard that are hardy to zone 5, but the temperature during a particular winter reaches -25, then the plants may die because they cannot live through a temperature that cold. This would be considered a hardiness issue. Plants may also die due to insects or diseases. Climate conditions such as not enough water or lack of water can contribute to a plantâs death. Rabbits and other animals are also often the cause of a plantâs death. Sometimes you can determine why a plant died but unfortunately sometimes you cannot. If you want to replace the shrub with the same type of shrub, if at all possible, determine why the first one died, before putting another one in its place.
If the plant is showing any signs of life i.e. some branches are leafing out but others are not. You may be able to prune off what isnât showing any sign of life. With fertilization and proper care, the remaining part of the plant might fill in and look quite nice as the summer progresses. This would be more true of deciduous shrubs than evergreen shrubs.
When plants die, the question then becomes do I need to replace them? When a plant dies, your landscaping may have matured enough, that you donât need to replace it. If you do need to fill in the area, you may be able to divide a perennial flower or ornamental grass that you already have in your yard to fill in the area. If you do need to replace the plants, be sure to choose a successor plant wisely. Check the hardiness, climate preferences, and insect and disease resistance of any plant you are considering planting in your yard. Also, consider checking out your neighborâs yard to see what is doing well for them.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
