Zone 5s will survive our winters

Q. How will I know if my plants have been damaged from the extreme temperatures?

Maggie from Canfield

A. Damage from the extreme cold may show up in spring, but only in a few plants in the landscape. Most of us are worried about plants based on the warnings we watched or read last week. Remember, these warnings were mostly based on wind chill. The term wind chill relates to heat loss, which is a concern for humans and animals, but not for plants.

The most common injury we will see in spring is bud damage, mostly flower buds. Spring flowering shrubs and fruits may indeed have fewer flower buds survive winter. For example, some peaches may be affected. According to Michigan State University Extension, “peach flower buds begin to freeze and die at -13 ∞ to -15 ∞ F and most are gone by the time the temperatures are below -16 F, but the tree itself is not damaged until the temperature drops below -20 or -25 F.” Thus, most peach buds are likely to survive. But temperatures can be lower or higher at your house or in an orchard compared with the location where the official temperatures are recorded. So, the temperature may have gotten to -13 ∞ F in some spots.

Peaches do not supply a consistent crop in Ohio, with most orchards getting a full crop one only out of every three to four years (depending on variety). This is not due to winter weather, though. It is because the buds are often affected by late frosts in spring, very different from a drop in temperature while the tree is dormant in January.

Plant selection is ultimately important when it comes to survival during winters here in the Mahoning Valley. Plants classified as Zone 5 or lower will be best at handling our cold winters.

Once spring comes, do not hurry to remove plants or shrubs or even to prune out dead parts. Give them some time to green up. Some plants will surprise you.

Michigan State has a great series of fact sheets to help you understand cold hardiness of plants and how they get through the winter: http://go.osu.edu/hardyfruit.

Eric Barrett is OSU Ext. educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County. Call the office hotline at 330-533-5538 from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays to submit your questions.