South Louisiana’s Last Freeze – When Is It Safe To Replant?

A walk through the vegetational war zone that is my yard shows that something awful happened here. I am not a green thumb kind of guy but at least I used to have plants that lived. Now all I have is wilted, rotting, brown, even uglier plants that are moving toward compost. The sub-freezing temperatures of last week have taken their toll. The only thing we can do is replace and move forward.

While my wife wants the plants replaced now, I know that putting in new plants too soon is asking for more trouble and more expense. If you are contemplating revitalizing your landscape I would advise you to wait too. According to those in the know if you want to be safe and avoid the last frost of the winter wait until March 1.

That date moves a little later in the month of March the further north you go. For those wanting to get the Spring vegetable garden going the LSU Ag Extension service has some great advice on what plants need to go in the ground when.

Another thing to consider, the frost may have just damaged your plants and not totally killed them. Many plants that look really bad now can be rehabilitated to be even stronger with just a little know how and some tender love and care. Of course tender love and care requires work and if you're lazy like me you'd just as soon rip them out and start over.

I wonder how come the frost never seems to kill the weeds?