Question
Hello I live in North Port and all my tress are 6 years old . the frost turned my carnation tree brown and than in days bare. it turns my pigmy palms brown. last night I covered everything but the carnation tree and my largest pigmy palm I couldn't reach it too big. Today after last nights freeze I found the palm all brown. The carnation tree has no foliage and looks dead. Do I take out the carnation tree is it a goner and is there a chance for the palm. It looked good after the first frost but last nights freeze browned it all and it is a very  very large triple palm. thank you Joan I have no green thumb at all. When I do cut pigmy palms should it be a hurricane cut ?

Answer
Hi Joan, I know your despair, I too (Port Charlotte) have the worse horticultural carnage I have seen since the freeze of 89; I am advising everyone concerned about this to wait, wait, and wait some more. The weather will turn warmer (eventually..) and new growth will begin on plants that are still viable; those that are completely dead, will show no growth at all. It is at this time that we can go out and assess the damage prudently and prune off the dead wood and fronds and leaves, but we must wait and see what is dead and what isn't, in the mean time we will just have to put up with the ugly sight of a browned palm or plant. If you began pruning back now, you could be pruning live tissue and thereby hurting the plant more. Patience is a virtue..:)Nick