MY NEW REDBUD AND CRIMSON PEAK JAPANESE MAPLE TREES WERE AFFECTED BY FROST TWO WEEKS AGO. ALL THE NEW LEAVES AND BRANCHES WHERE DAMAGED. WHAT SHOULD I DO? WILL BOTH TREES RECOVER? SHOULD I FERTILIZE? IF SO, WHAT IS SAFE TO USE??

Spring can be such a beautiful time of year and also a harsh time of year. Fortunately, most trees have two sets of leaf buds. If the first set is damaged by frost or freeze, another set will soon emerge. However, your trees may be a little bit sparse this year as the second set of leaves often isn’t as heavy as the first set. I wouldn’t rush into fertilizing either tree. Wait until the temperatures have evened out. Check out the First Editions planting and care guide for valuable information on selecting fertilizer.