Question
I planted 30 ficus trees that are approx 5ft tall and this last cold snap in Feb-07 turned all the leaves brown and brittle, the limbs are brittle as well, however on a couple of them I notice at the base of the trees there are some green leaves. Is there any hope or should I just dig them up?

Answer
Rebecca,

The roots survived and are healthy. Because there is a large established root system those new shoots will grow quickly. If you want them to be trees and not shrubs I would clip out all so the shoots except the largest and cut off the old dead tree. The dead parts will snap off easily. Some of the trees may have good live trunks that will send out shoots higher up, do not cut off anything but the dead parts and be patient. As they develop new shoots do not hesitate to cut off the undesirable ones to keep a good shape. They will grow quickly because of the large established root system. Good luck.

Darlene