frozen peonies?

[2petuniasmom]

Hello,
We have had very warm weather and my peonies have shoots about 12" tall. Last evening we had a hard frost. Today the shoots feel mushy. Should I cut them back? If I do will they have new growth or should I just leave them alone? Will they recover?

I also have 2 apple trees, a plum, 2 cherry trees, many choke cherry trees and bout 45 lilac bushes. None of the fruit trees were blooming, but there were leaf buds. The lilacs had a few leaves and some flower buds - will they recover?

My husband and I bought this farm site last summer. This is our first spring and we enjoyed all the flowers and fruit trees so much, but I still have a lot to learn! Any input would be appreciated. Thank you! Julie

[Newt]

Hi Julie,

I would say to leave the peonies alone for now. Watch them daily and if the stems turn black then cut them off at ground level. You should get new sprouts, if not this year then next. Their root systems are pretty hardy and they can often live 70 years or more without being transplanted. There are tree peonies that are shrub like and have woody stems in the winter and herbaceous peonies that die down to the ground in the fall. Remove the spent foilage in fall when they start to look shabby.
http://www.goldenport.com/peony/index.htm

You don't say where you live or your hardiness zone so I can't say for sure what is going on with your fruit trees. If you've had a hard frost it could kill the flower buds for this year.

Here's some helpful info on your lilacs.
http://www.lilacs.com/frames/care.htm
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortn...993/lilac.html
http://www.heardgardens.com/basicsforlilacs.htm

Sounds like you have a lovely place!
Newt