Q. About two weeks ago, I planted some bean seeds directly outside in my raised bed garden. Usually, they germinate within a week, but I haven’t seen anything come up yet. Yesterday, I checked the soil where I planted, and I can’t even find the seeds. What happened?
If you’ve been checking every day and haven’t seen any evidence that the seeds have germinated, it’s likely that they’ve simply rotted. Although we are unlikely to experience any frost (the official last frost date for the cooler inland valleys is March 15), the ground is still cold. Most seeds need at least moderate heat to germinate, so the cold kept them dormant and the moisture led to them rotting.
Placing black sheet plastic over the soil can result in enough warming to induce germination. This method requires daily attention because once the seedlings emerge you’ll need to remove the plastic to allow light in. Row covers consisting of clear or translucent plastic or sheer landscape fabric draped over hoops can also trap enough heat to warm the soil. Row covers can also protect against birds, grasshoppers, and other pests that want to feast on your seedlings.
Q. I accidentally left my peace lily outside overnight. The temperature must have dropped more than expected since the plant turned black and wilted. Is there any hope for it, or should I just buy a new one?
If the plant is large and expensive to replace, keep it around (inside) and wait until the weather warms and the days get longer. Don’t water or fertilize, but don’t let it completely dry out either. If there is any life left in it, you’ll see some new growth eventually.
Cold damage can happen to frost-tender outdoor plants as well. In mild cases, some of the outer leaves may turn black and fall off. In more severe cases, a plant may become completely defoliated (lose all of its leaves) but not have any crown or root damage. In the worst cases, the plant is killed all the way down to the roots.
If you have a plant that became completely defoliated in the winter, just leave it alone until the danger of frost has passed. Don’t remove outer, frost-damaged leaves from outdoor plants since, even though they are ugly, they will provide some protection from further damage if frost reoccurs. My neighbors were getting ready to dig up and discard a young grapefruit tree that was nothing but twigs, but I saw a hint of green. I advised them to hold off and wait because the tree wasn’t completely dead. Within a month or two, it was producing new leaves.
Sometimes, with grafted fruit trees, the frost may kill the top part of the tree and leave the rootstock alive. Rootstocks are usually very hardy, so this is a common occurrence with citrus trees. If this happens, you will see new growth coming only from below the graft and the tree is not recoverable.
Los Angeles County
[email protected]; 626-586-1988; celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
[email protected]; mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
[email protected]; 951-955-0170; ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
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