St. Charles Herald-Guide  Delay Pruning Following a Freeze  By
Dan Gill - February 1, 2006  Although temperatures have been
quite mild this winter, freezing conditions could occur before
the arrival of spring. Typically, the freezes we experience in
our area cause little to no injury to our landscape plantings,
however there are occasions when they can be severe enough to
cause important damage.  Should damage to landscape plantings be
apparent following a freeze, wait a while before attempting any
pruning to allow time for all the damage to become fully
evident. The severity of damage and the type of plant will
dictate the method and amount of pruning. For pruning of
herbaceous and tropical plants such as begonias, impatiens,
philodendron, gingers, elephant ears, and cannas, and especially
those plants that become mushy, slimy or foul smelling, these
can be cut back to living tissue. Damaged foliage on banana
trees can be removed and the trunk cut back if the trunk has
been killed. A dead trunk will loose in