Hey Gardening Friends,

It's officially spring!!! All the snow is gone, days and nights are getting warmer and things are slowly but surely beginning to green up and grow in our landscapes and gardens.

And we know you've been out poking around and checking things out because we're seeing more and more of you here at The Gardener's Center everyday!!!

One of the first things that folks come to see us about at this time of year is issues with outdoor evergreen plants, usually brown or discolored leaves, in the landscape or in outdoor pots or containers.

This is a very common issue with these special plants that keep their leaves during the winter as we transition into spring. So we thought now would be the perfect time to talk about what's going on here with these brown leaves that are supposed to be green. If you've noticed this happening while you've been out checking up on your plants, you'll want to keep reading.

There are two distinct groups of hardy evergreen plants. The conifers, which are characterized by needle like foliage, and broad-leaved evergreens which typically have larger and rounder leaves that look more like, well, leaves. The conifers would include spruces, pines, junipers, cedars and Arborvitae. Common broad-leaved evergreens in our area would be Azaleas, Rhododendron, boxwood, Ilex (aka holly) Pieris (aka Andromeda) and laurels, both mountain (Kalmia) and cherry (Prunus).

Because these plants keep their leaves during the winter, they are often susceptible to damage from sub-zero temperatures and wind chill. Unlike deciduous plants that lose their leaves in the fall before the onset of cold temperatures, evergreen plants continue to transpire through their foliage throughout the winter.

What this means is that they must continue to move water from the soil through their roots and stems to their leaves all winter long regardless of how cold it gets. They don't get to take a break like their deciduous counterparts that shed their leaves before winter. And when it gets extremely cold the water in the soil can freeze. This is especially an issue for evergreens in pots and containers which are more exposed to low temperatures and don't benefit from the protection of snow cover like plants in the landscape and garden. When the water in the soil freezes the plant can no longer access it and the foliage burns or scorches.

So if you're out and about assessing your plants and see brown leaves that should be green, you"re more than likely looking at winter injury. An important thing to keep in mind here to help you diagnose the situation. Insects and diseases are not active at all during the winter so if your plants looked fine last summer and fall and now not so much, you definitely have winter damage.

So what's the remedy for these brown or discolored leaves?

That depends a lot on the severity of the damage and the type of plant. Boxwoods and Arborvitaes will often take on a bronzy hue during the winter months that will correct itself as the weather warms up. So best advice with these plants is to give them some time. Wait until mid-April and if at that time they haven't greened up, prune off the discolored foliage to make way for fresh new green growth. Rhododendrons, azaleas, hollies, and laurels will not green up again if their leaves have turned brown. With these plants you can either prune the damaged leaves or give them a little time in warmer weather as well. The damaged leaves will often drop off on their own when new growth commences later in April.