Pruning frost/snow hit shrubs

Now is the time to tend to evergreen shrubs that were damaged by the harsh winter.With the growing season under way, live wood should respond well to pruning and the resulting growth can now develop unchecked by further frosts.Shrubs such as choisya, ceanothus and photinia may have blackened or spotted tips, flattened branches and dead or defoliated shoots. Trace this growth back to a strong, healthy bud or well-placed shoot and cut it off cleanly using sharp secateurs.Palms such as yucca and cordyline may have lost their growing tips; they won't shoot from this point again so main stems should be cut back to swelling buds that will send out new shoots.If you have phormiums that have been squashed flat, cut out worst affected leaves back to their origins; upright, replacement foliage should be coming through now. You may need to replace badly damaged specimens.A general purpose fertiliser, thick mulch and plenty of water will help plants produce new foliage and restore scorched or chlorotic leaves.By summer, shrubs should be returning to their former glory - if not, it may be best to accept defeat and replace them.
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