Question
Hey Nick, I live in south west fl. I have some arecas that got frost bitten, just on the tops. Should i leave them alone or cut them back to the stalk? Will they come back or will this harm them?
Thanks Stanley

Answer
Hi Stanley, Arecas are among the most resilient plants when it comes to cold stress; they look terrible when stung,but usually rebound nicely when warmer weather occurs. Wait until you begin to see new fronds emerging from the center, then methodically begin to remove browned out fronds, but do so from the main stalk, don't make the mistake of just trimming the brown sections alone. Arecas need to be kept neat for that "Bamboo" type look to occur, and this can only be accomplished by starting at the bottom and methodically removing entire fronds right from that main trunk. It is a laborious job on an Areca that has been left to its own devices for a long period of time (albeit some like that look..), but well worth it when you see the result. Prune it from an aesthetic standpoint, leaving the main trunk showing and the top half with fronds. Nick