Freezer burn
The frost we experienced in California this last week is said to have destroyed three-quarters of the entire citrus crop, and upwards of a billion dollars in damage for farmers. And not to make fun of that, my garden is pretty trashed, too. Make that estimate a billion and one dollars, then.
For other gardeners here in the SF Bay Area, here is a tip on what to do now:
Absolutely nothing.
The plant that looks dead now, might still be alive. Do not cut it back — this will just expose tender vegetation for the next freeze. One year after a frost, I cut back the damaged bougainvillea, and a week later there was another frost. Though it is debatable whether my vine would have survived the second frost anyway, my pruning did not help it at all, and it died. Wait till spring and look for signs of life before reaching for the shears.
But hope springs eternal. For those of you who created a seed-starting calendar last year, and if you live near me you probably already know that we are within the six week mark of the last frost. This weekend and next should be prime time for us to start some seeds. If you have not already done so, go seed shopping today.
