I have a fuchsia collection in raised beds in my front garden. This area will become a builders site in a few months when we have an extension built. My plan is to lift the fuchsias ( about 50 of them, both H3 and H2) into pots which my kind neighbours have agreed to store. … read more
I planted white hydrangea, after 2 weeks the leaves turned white and the stalks just collapsed..what could be the cause?
Can Pomegranate and Persimmon grow outdoor at Ireland? If yes, which breed is better?
I have a Chusan palm tree for ten years it’s about 10ft high. Every year I cover it with a fleece bag but it’s so high it will be very hard to do. is it hardy.
I have a fuchsia collection in raised beds in my front garden. This area will become a builders site in a few months when we have an extension built. My plan is to lift the fuchsias ( about 50 of them, both H3 and H2) into pots which my kind neighbours have agreed to store. … read more
Some years ago, I bought back two cones from Israel (sentimental reasons) and recently put a couple of the seeds into some compost. Surprisingly they have taken root and I now have four little bright yellow green spikey shoots almost like the spikes of an upturned umbrella. Do you think they will survive here and … read more
I purchased this Boronia and it had beautiful pink flowers. It died a sudden death and lookes so dry even thought I have watered it every day. Initally I had it in a pot then put it in the front garden which get good sun in the afternoon and early evening. Is there any way … read more
have noticed that some ash trees in my area have a blackish hue to them. When you look closely at branches it looks like hundreds of tiny, flat, dark coloured leave like structures are present. have been told that trees have gone to seed too early. Is this what has happened and what has caused … read more
In relation to one of your previous questions about a frost damaged cornus controversa, I also have one (planted in January) that got frost causing all the buds to go black. I removed some of these tips but even at this late stage there is nearly no leaves on it. Apart from a few black … read more
Lots of my shrubs and small trees have been badly burned by frost and I’m not sure what to do with them. Some of them are definitely having some die-back, so for them I just cut back to sound material. But what to do with Hydrangeas with burned leaves, and in particular a two year … read more
Viburnums were killed by frost last winter. Problems if I leave roots in the ground? If so , remedy?I would like to plant Viburn again or Red Robin. Also I want to grow apple trees near where I cut down a Hibiscus the roots of which are in ground. Forsee any problems?
My Cordyline which died because of the bad snow last year has re-sprouted from below the soil. Instead of one new re-growth, I have three. Should I dig two of them up and re-plant them elsewhere as the three are in very close proximity to the other. Also my Mahonia and phormium have re-sprouted again … read more
My 8 year old 60m Escalonia hedge was badly affected by frost last year. I cut it back strongly in early summer and each bush seems to have had new growth. Is there anything I can do to protect it this year, besides praying?
Had healthy griselinia hedge 30m long 5m high 6ft wide.Neighbour cut same with tractor mounted hedge cutter august 2010. Result mangled.Got professional help cut another 4ft off sprayed against disease.fed with liquid fertilisor nov 2010. Looking at hedge 90% of it has no leaves at all.There are no new buds . Will it recover and … read more
Regarding my hedge which was badly damaged by frost, but it is now showing regrowth. I asked should I cut it down. feed it or leave it alone.
I have a Griselinia hedge about 6ft high and 60ft long!!! I thought it was killed by frost as all the leaves have fallen off and there was just bare branches. However now there is a good bit of growth comming from the bottom of the plant!! Should I cut down the hedge? Feed it? … read more
I thought my 18ft Cordyline had survived the bad winter as it continued to grow and flowered recently but this week I noticed the bark is falling off about a foot from the bottom of all three trunks… Assuming that this tree is now dead I am going to cut it down and let the … read more
The past two very cold winters have taken a considerable toll on our eucalyptus tree. Apart from some recent new growth at the base, the entire tree looks dead and at times smells of rotting timber. , many Thanks for any help.
Can you advise how I can protect a tree fern next winter in case we get same very cold weather. I also had ferns in ground around tree but there are no leves coming on them. Any suggestions?
I wrote to you last April asking how to save my 30 yr old Cordyline in which I really thought had died from our harsh winter, I cut all the side branches and the top off, and just left it standing at 12ft tall. This week I’ve noticed 4 new shoots appearing around the base … read more
I have a lonicera nitida hedge which is 60 years old and was in excellent condition until this year. The entire hedge (about 200 feet) is now withering (I have attached a phot). I think the snow earlier in the year may have caused the problem. I have tried treating the headge with Miracle Grow … read more
bad frost damage to griissalinia hedge any suggestions? do you think if i cut it out hedge will recover? It looks very brown and dead in parts. thank you for any advice you may have.
We planted a griselina bareroot hedge in March 2010 it was growing well until April 2011 now half of the hedge has turned brown and lost all the leaves. Are these trees dead. one or two of the remaining trees leaves have started to go yellow lately and i’m afraid they will to go brown … read more
I notice that there are signs of life at the base of ny hedge which I thought was killed by last years frost. Is it your advice to cut away all the dead wood in the hope that growth will take off.
I have a mahonia and phormium which were doing well until the bad weather. Both plants died off, re-sprouted and died again. Today I’ve noticed a sprout from beneath the soil on the mahonia and two weeks ago the phormium began to sprout. How can I protect them in case of more bad weather?
This large pittospornum has been in our garden since before we built our house on the site. This year the tree seems to be a bit sick, with much less leaves than usual. The leaves that are on it seem to lack vigour also. There have been some limbs cut off about 4 years ago, … read more
Last year I had a lot of Fuchias growing in pots but I lost most of them due to the frost and snow ,I want to replace them as they are my favourite plant and could you advise me on which type and names of Fuchia to get to avoid losing them again if we … read more
About 10 branches all in a cluster roughly 10 foot each nearly all leaves have now fallen off (this is due to the cold snap from reading other questions) However new stems coming at base of each one. Should i cut the 10 big branches down to size now or just leave nature take its … read more
My Jasmine grows in a pot in an outside unheated conservatory. I cut back my jasmine about a month ago and have fed it carefully. There is just brown stems and no new growth appearing. Do you think it will come back to life?
I have 2 Bottlebrush shrubs which were badly by the frost.Growth is not visible.Should I cut these out now .
I have noticed alot of yellow leaves on my Griselinia hedge and am worried that it may be dying. Trimmed and fed it (fish bone and blood) last week. Need I worry
i planted shrubs Myrtus communis ‘variegata’ and Hypercium ‘Hidcote’ last year all of which did well until recently when they’ve started to wilt. the Myrtus leaves have gone brittle and have died and the hidcote leaves are going yellow, i watered and fed them with tomato feed during the recent dry spell but they are … read more
I have a problem with my eucalyptus tree which appears to be dying, have given it some water in the last few weeks but no response have seen similar problems in my local golf club can you help
We have a 25 year old Pittosporum, which is 25 to 30 feet high. It is a beautifully shaped tree, normally with dense foliage. Last year we cut and stripped some ivy which was getting quite heavy on the trunk. Since Spring, the foliage is getting thinner and thinner. The tree is currently flowering, small … read more
I have a mature myrtle shrub which does not appear to have growth up the branches. However there is a very slight growth at the base. What should I do to save it? Similarly my bottle brush has some little growth throughout a lot of dead looking branches. What should I do? My common type … read more
my cistus plants have leaves only on the tips. The plants are approx 3 feet across. I would like to prune them hard back but should I wait??
We have two 30 yr old Cordylines (palm Trees) in our front garden (north facing). One is sheltered but the other one has taken the brunt of our bad winter, it has lost all leaves, and all side branches seems to be dead. A weird looking orange/pink sap oozed out from the bottom of main … read more
My Griselinia hedge of 4 yrs is only now starting to go brown in spots (not noticeable unless your beside it). All others in our area have been gone almost 2 years since very bad frost. We have not had frost here in weeks. Is there anything I can do to save it? Should I … read more
On a recent journey from Inishowen to Dublin I noticed that most of the whin/gorse (Ulex) along the roadside seem to have died. Would this have been caused by the severe winter or is there a disease on the rampage?
I’m wondering if my yellow barberry is dead. It has dropped its leaves and I see no sign of its yellow flowers this year. Could our -16c winter temps have killed it? My father wants to remove/ dump it, but should we give it another chance? Also, our clematis hasn’t flowered either. Will it benefit … read more
The olearia hedge which we planted 15 years doesn’t appear to be growing any new leaves this spring. It was cut back in the autumn but new grow is virtually non existent. The leaves are dead and shoots appear woodly and dead. Is there any way to revive it and bring it back. It is … read more
I was up to recently going to set some gold leylandii but have heard that it too got damaged by frost last winter! which is more frost hardy, laurel or gold leylandii? is it true you have to prune rather that use a hedgeg trimmers for laurel. how far apart would you set both?
My oleria and grecelinia hedging has been killed, presumably by frost. I live roughly three miles from the sea (atlantic). Should i replant this year or wait.
When would I know for sure that my escallonia hedge is dead. It looks dead but when will I know so I can plant a new hedge. Also what would be a good replacement hedge (one that can withstand the harsh winters we have had)
Our Hebe Heartbreaker is in a border and has always been beautiful. However this spring it looks leggy and unattracrtive., Could it have died in the harsh winter; can I cut it right back?
Leaves are very brown in the lower part of the tree and greener towards the top – bark also peels a lot. In the other eucalyptus tree the leaves are brown in the bottom and its leafless on top. They were both doing very well up to this year.
I had a standard Red Robin [Baby Red Robin] that did’t put out new leaves and died, brought another one and now its doing the same the stems are green when scrathed, also the plant is in a pot.
I have a Red Robin hedge which gets the sun very early in the morning and up to midday. It is partly protected with my neighbour’s house and is growing very well. However, the unprotected side has developed black spots and the new red leaves are falling off. Could this be the harsh weather of … read more
Photograph attached to assist in identification. I will send a further picture with a close up of a portion of a branch which has an appearance of ‘barnacles’
looking for your advice on a remedy which i was told about to bring back burnt griselinia hedging. the mixture is called ARMILLATOX. Can you please advise me on the best course of action to repair hedge as i have a lot of it planted around my house and its all burnt.
Griselinia hedging seems to be dying here and all around locality. Stems are a rotting brown colour. The roots seem to be healthy. Is this a disease or frost damage and is there anything we can do to revive the hedge. Varigated variety is completely destroyed
I have two variagated myrtle shrubs in the garden that have lost all their leaves (except for a little few around the base). Is this a result of the harsh winter? Can anything be done with these? Thanks
I have two eucalyptus trees, 3 years of age close to one another at the coast but with good shelter. Both doing fine until about a week/ten days ago. One is fine. The other one looks as if it had been hit by weedkiller but no weedkiller was used near it… All the leaves looking … read more
I have noticed the ivy on our back garden wall starting to go brown around the leave edges.Is it some disease.Im worried, i have never seen this before as the ivy was always very healthy.I just dont understand it.The ivy has been there for the last 15 years.It seems to be dying.
Twenty years ago I planted Oleria all around our summer house by the beach in ballyferriter co Kerry. I cut it every year to maintain as a hedge. I think all the shrubs are dead as all the leaves have fallen off. Anything I can do?
I have 2 red robin trees we bought last year potted. they have lost nearly all their leaves and whats left of the leaves are brown. they look to be dead? when i scraped the bark to see its brown underneath.
During the recent bad weather (Think frost was the culprit) the leaves on both my Yucca’s have drooped and bent over. The centre looks a bit soggy. Is there anything i can do to revive them this spring or will i have to dig them up and replace them with something a little more hardy? … read more
2 Camelias in pots- about 10 yrs old.No leaves left on either one- just a few buds. Should I cut my losses and get rid of them?
Our camelia had buds some weeks ago but when I touched them (gently) they fell off. It is so sad not to have the abundance of flowers it had up to 2009. The bush looks healthy otherwise. Will it flower again, is there anything I can do?
Given the snow this winter, I have noticed that my solanum alba which was only planted last year seems to have withered and I fear it is dead. Should I see some life by now?
20 year old palm trees have lost most of their leaves in last storms. Will they grow back? is there anything that can be done to help?
My strawberry tree has been damaged very much from the frost can i do anything to get it healthy again?
Wondering what to do with a well established pyracantha that has been damaged by frost, leaves withered and falling off
6 ft high tree lost all leaves. some shoots appearing about 2 ft from bottom. full size ones also bare. can anything be done ?
I’ve a Wollemi Pine about 4 years old now. It grew very well in the first two years. Last winter’s frost seems to have killed it, as the stems went brown and fell off quite easily. The winter before that the tip of the plant died (no wax polar cap formed), so I pruned it … read more
Following the bad weather prior to Christmas, both my cissus striata look damaged, withered and even dead in parts. The are 10 feet plus high framing the front door – is there anything I can do to rescue them?
my griselinia hedge destroyed by frost its about 12 years old . will it recover or what do i replace it with.
I have a rosemary hedge that was planted about 2 years ago. With the snow, it is now looking really really sick. Alot of the branches look dead and are shedding their needles. However there are still a few green sprigs (granted looking worse for wear) .Do you know how I could revive my rosemary … read more
We have a number of what we call ” monkey trees”, they look like coconut trees without the nuts. We live in Galway city. They are over 20 years old and have been evergreen until the severe frost. The leaves have fallen off, even the little shoots perished. I suppose I should wait and see … read more
4 years ago we spent a lot on an escallonia hedge running the full perimeter of our site. The frost has killed all the leaves (turned brown) and the branches are brown & brittle. Is there any hope of the roots being ok and it growing back ?
We planted 18-24 inch bare root laurels in November and now find that the top parts of all plants have brown leaves and look scorched (after the recent frosts). However, the base of the plants seem alive as they are green. Should we cut the plants down to the base or what is the best … read more
There is a lot of frost damage done to our palm tree. Most of the fronds have fallen or will fall. Should i take the tree down or will it grow again.
My clematis cartmanii (avalanche) got greenfly & what looked like blackfly. But they only seem to be on the new growth which happened over Christmas, we brought it indoors during the bad weather for a week & it grew uncontrollably.I sprayed it with suddy water, which didn’t work. I bought a spray & used that, … read more
has my purple acacia tree died in the recent weather conditions in Cork? gone dusty/dry looking. New in spring 2010.
I have 2 bay trees in pot outside my front door,in the hard frost I covered them,but there are a few brown leaves ,nothing bad( dead liitle stems).I had 2 last year which died in the frost and this year I minded these 2 but still have signs of frost bite,is there anything that I … read more
I am looking for some advice on cordylines red star i have two beautiful big ones in pots but they got hit with snow and ice .one is nearly bald and the other is flopping all the top leaves are soggy and facing downwards.should I start again or can I salvage these.
Our 7 year old griselinia hedge seems to have suffered in the frosts before Christmas, nearly all the leaves have fallen off now. Do you think it might be saved? Any suggestions? I was told to try chicken manure? Thanks.
i have 3 cordylines now about 15ft tall for many years, this winter the tops have just fallen down, will they survive or should i have them cut down, im pretty sure its a result of the snow and frost .
Looks as if I’ll be replacing several plants after the recent weather. Can you suggest any shrubs which can stand up to the -6 to – 15 weather in my East facing, Co. Meath garden.Is there a rule of thumb as Regards the zones in which plants are assumed ‘hardy’, even to the extremes of … read more
Last year my cordyline, phormium and mahonia plants died because of the bad weather but have now re- sprouted again. Can you give my some advice as to how to protect them now from the very cold weather.
I have planted a new hedgerow of holly and thorn which is been eaten by rabbits.They are gnawing the bark. How can I deter them.
First winter in Ireland as a garden owner…In summer I planted viburnum, olive tree and cherry blossom tree in large pots. After wrapping the plants in farmers fleece, and pots in bubble wrap, do I water them at all during winter? Is it better to keep them in dark shed or on shed porch during … read more
I have two Red Robin trees in pots outside my door which i bought in the summer. What do i need to do with them for winter to protect them from wind and frosts. I’m afraid they will get damaged.
I have spent the last few months creating a garden around my new house. Therefore this is the first winter I am facing as a gardener. With some forecasts predicting another extremely cold winter what can I do now to prepare my garden for another event like last December January? I have a mix of … read more
My hedge was badly ‘burned’ in the frost earlier this year. I hoped it would come back, but no joy. IS there anything I can do to help it along, or should I just replace it?
My 4 year old grisilinia hedge was badly damaged last winter but has new growth at the very bottom of each plant now, it’s about 6 feet tall so how much of the old growth do I remove as the new growth so far is on the bottom 6 inches and from there up looks … read more
There is new shoots appearing on the base of my griselinia which was badly damaged by our cold winter. Will you please advise on what I should do now? do I cut right back on the hedge and how far down to the base and when should I do this.
My leptospermums are completly dead this year. will they redevelope flowers if I leave them in the ground
When is it safe to say that cordylines and griselinia hedges are really dead after suffering severe frost damage?Can new hedge plants(probably hawthorn or lonicera nitida) be planted between the existing sawn off stumps of dead hedge plants without uprooting the dead ones?Any advice welcome…
I have a leptospermum that was badly hit by the frost and is 95% brown with a tiny section flowering. Presumably its days are numbered?
I sowed a griselinia hedge last september and now it’s dead, people have said to leave it that it might come back but it’s very unsightly with no growth, what should i do?
I have two camelias but as a result of the cold spell all the buds have turned brown. Is there any hope that these will re-sprout and bloom next year. Do I need to cut off the brown buds that exist.?
Please could you advise on a ten year old sarcococca which has has been having quite a bit of die back in the middle of the shrub. A younger plant which is planted beside it is also showing the same symptoms. They are planted in sandy soil in a bright place. Please can you help … read more
I have Sections of Pittosporum established for 5-6 years now,Which is used for as Foliage Fillers.During the cold spell allot of it has been severly damaged, One factor that has not helped is the fact cutting were taken late last year from the trees.a. can I leave courgette plants which are doing very well, peppers,chilly … read more
I have 4 lollypop Bay trees out side my house , since the bad frost at xmas the leaves have turned brown and the trucks have cracked!I have pruned them right back as far as I could go and at the moment they have no leaves on them, and no sign of any new growth … read more
Hi Gerry, My griselenia hedge of 35 years has died. Last winter’s frost burned it. Ant hope of it regenerating this year? Recently I have cut back one of them to see will green shoots sprout. but nothing as yet. If I were to have to replace it is there some similar plant/shrub that would … read more
My privet hedge is all burnt I think it may have been due to the snow and cold ? Can it be treated and saved as its my front boundary .
My eucalyptus tree which is approx 6 years old is looking rather poorly have given it some water over the past few weeks . is it suffering from the frost effect like other plants?
I have a small bay leaf tree and after the winter there are no leaves at all on it and not a bud to be seen. I did have it covered in a fleece bag. Is it gone for good?
We have a Jelly Palm in our front garden for the past 2 years but since this year’s frost all the leaves have died – do you think it will recover or is there anything we can do. There appears to be no new growth.
I have a mahonia which is about five years old. It had lovely leaves and yellow flowers. Since the bad cold spell all the leaves have fallen off and the stalk is the only thing that is left. Is this dead or will it re-sprout again and should I feed it?
I have two Photinia Red Robin, looking smart and growing nicely but shedding an awful lot of leaves. I have one in the front (east facing) and one in the back (west facing) and clay soil.. There are also spots on the leaves. There is plenty of new red growth and other than that they … read more
Some plants on my 5 year old, otherwise vigorous, Griselinia hedge (in city, fairly sheltered, sun in afternoon) have developed pale, irregular spots on leaves, any part of leaf but especially nearer tip. leaf turns yellow, some have brown at tip, then fall. Neighbouring yew, skimmia and box ok just now.I’d be glad of advice … read more
Grisselinia hedge – well established – 8 years. No leaves at all at the moment and no sign of growth. Will this hedge recover or is it finished. It is a boundary hedge between our neighbours and I can now see through the hedge into their garden.
I have had a huge plant which has been the centre piece of my garden for about 15 years. I believe it could be called Cordyline indivisa – with seven stems and about 12 -15 feet in height. It seems to have been completely destroyed by frost. Please dont tell me to cut it down. … read more
My two fuschia shrubs are showing no signs of life .Have they been killed by the severe frost over the winter? One is ten years old and is a very large shrub.The other is three years old and is much smaller.
My beloved cyathea dealbata tree fern (10 years old) looked as though it had succumbed to the fierce cold of the previous few months. I do, however, see some tiny green fronds appearing from the center even though the other old foliage is black and dead. What is the best way to proceed. Should I … read more
Mimosa tree lost all leaves and branches seem dead.Dimosa ‘pink fountain’brown and falling foliage,no new growth anywhere. Sweet pea shrub, planted last summer,lost leaves since winter,no sign of life Are they really dead?
My Acer has some branches with black tips – is this frost bite and should i prune them back now?
Yucca frost damage, all of the yuccas in my garden and my neighbors have suffered frost damage. Should I prune the tree or leave nature take its course…
My sophora and hoheria are very badly damaged from the harsh weather,the sophora has lost all its leaves which went brown initally,the hoheria has lost leaves on top,what can i do to help them recover.
Is there any cure for Camellia frost. I seem to have lost a beautiful plant and wonder if there is any way to restore it.
Last Oct a severe storm hit my area and completely stripped bare all my escallonia hedge and Gold Brian shrubs, theres nothing left just twigs, actually everyone in my neighbourhood suffered the same. My garden items are 10-15yrs and never before has this happened. What can I do for them now. It is so sad … read more
I am aware that the recent snow has caused severe problems for cordylines. Just wanted to know how I should treat my 7 year old cordyline. It is in a very open space and is the centre piece in my front garden. It is now about 4 feet tall – has split into three sections. … read more
Griselina Hedging looks dead after the cold weather. Will it come back?
I have a feeling that what’s left as the living crown and root mass might flog themselves to death trying to activate damaged tissue several feet up the creeper. On the other hand, hard pruning might force low shoots to emerge before the frost has finished. I’m inclined to compromise and cut away the bulk … read more
I have an escallonia hedge as a screen between my house and the next-door neighbours. It has been planted for 20 years and this is the first winter that there are no leaves on it, it is entirely “see-through” and it looks dead. There are two different varities of escallonia in the hedge, one variety … read more
I planted a number of ceanothus before the bad frosts. Most of the leaves of many of them have been burnt. However if I cut into the branches the inside is white and there seems to be sap there still.Is ceanothus hardy enough to withstand this weather?
Most of the leaves on my 7 yr old Ceonothus ‘Trewithen’ are dry and dead looking. There are still just a few of the nice green leaves left and no sign of any flower appearing. It is now Feb 20 and I don’t think I will get the usual magnificant display of blue flowers this … read more
All the leaves of my ten foot Dodonea have totally shrivelled because of the frost, do you think i have lost the shrub or has it got a chance of surviving, it is eight years old.
I have a creeper (Cissus Striata) growing on the shed and it seems to have been badly damaged by the frost. I’ve only recently found out that I should have protected it from the frost! Will it recover?
I planted some Griselinia at the start of december just before the bad frost. now most of the trees have no leaves and some twigs are soft. are these now dead or should i wait another month to see if any new growth comes again?
Have read advice from everywhere and have made a clean cut across 3 broken branches. I seem to remember reading that by inverting a clean empty tin (like baked beans) over the wound would protect the cut. Additionally I put a handful of horticultural fleece into the base of the tins to act as an … read more
Leaves fallen off but some on inside near a wall are still undamaged. It’s on a north west corner of a bed and protected from east side by the house. East Galway location. Will the shrub come back following frost damage? It’s a lovely colour and 3 of them grow together. I would hate to … read more
Following the recent frost my 25 year old palm tree (3 trunks) looks very brown. I spotted some pink coloring at the base. What are the prospects?
I have an outdoor yucca tree, 15ft tall with the leaves all dying on top and bottom of tree, also pink fungus growing on trunks of tree, ( three trunks)what can i doplease help as it was my mothers, Thanks . tree growing in poorly drained lawn , mostly moss but always grew there, no … read more
My griselinia hedge has suffered in the recent bad frosts and the leaves are all brown. What should I do, should I cut it back?
My Dicksonia Antartica has suffered from recent cold weather. All leaves are brown and there are no signs of any new growth yet. Does this mean the plant is dead?
I grew the pictured Angels Trumphet from seed last year, and with the winter, it did die….I have not over watered it during winter.Im just wondering, is it dead or will it come back in Spring and if so, what I should do?
As we now hopefully see the end of the bad weather, I was out in my garden this week to see that my geraniums/fushias have been particulary hit with the bad weather. Appearing totally lifeless/dead. My question is will they come back or will I need to start from scratch? At 27 and a gardener … read more
Now drooping leaves “like a broken umbrella” . Only about 5 years old. What can I do to help it along ?