Knowledgebase
Japanese Blueberry freeze damage? #681826
Asked February 25, 2021, 5:26 PM EST
How/when should I trim my Japanese Blueberry trees that turned brown after the recent hard freeze?
Travis County Texas
Expert Response
Japanese Blueberry trees are quite cold-hardy so I hope your tree has survived the freeze and the roots are still healthy.
If the branches and leaves are dry, I would wait a couple of weeks before pruning off the dead foliage/branches since they will provide some insulation if we are hit with another freeze before Spring sets in.
After that certainly cut the dead sections back to allow new Spring growth. Do not cut down to the ground, only cut off the dead section and not any green leaves or sections that still appear to be alive. (From the photo it looks as if some of the tree has some green leaves left.)
If of course the branches start to look mushy, cut them back to prevent rot.
Liz Stansfeld
Travis County Master Gardener
