On 23/05/2011 19:51, David WE Roberts wrote:
Having been touring the world for the last 7 months I have returned to
the after effects of the severe winter.

Both lemon trees were left on a sheltered south facing patio area in the
hope that they would be O.K.
[Taking them into a building would have guaranteed no watering]

I thought they were both dead - all branches withered.

However I now see that the base of the trees are still alive and putting
out new shoots.

The dilemma is should I cut all the dead wood off now, or should I wait
a bit untill new growth is more established?
Growth at the moment is tiny buds showing two leaves but still very small.

TIA

I'd be inclined to leave well alone until the end of the summer. It is
amazing how some things will come back despite having taken a major
setback from a hard frost. Not worth pruning to tidy it up until you are
sure that it won't sprout new growth from the other stems.

Having said that it looks like last winter has done for my two bamboos,
a bay tree and fig tree all of which look distinctly Norwegian blue.

Regards,
Martin Brown