Is it necessary to keep my concrete porch painted? Will it crack if I let it go natural. I was scr

[patricia92243]

scraping it - getting ready to put a new coat of paint on it. So much of the paint just scrapes off that it would be easy to let it just go back to the plain concrete, but I don't want to do anything that will cause damage in the long-run.

Actually, while I'm asking home-repair type questions: The new growth on my shrubbery froze up and died - for the first time that I ever remember. Can I go ahead and trim off the dead growth, or should I wait til the new growth appears.

Any help on any of this will be GREATLY appreciated (Woman alone)

[zanne]

1. About the shrubbery....

I'm only an amateur, but I think it's always best to get rid of the dead stuff so the shrub will have more energy for the new growth.
As for your concrete steps--in my neck of the woods, it's kind of traditional to paint concrete; even foundations. (It's kind of a French-Canadian thing).

[patricia92243]

4. That makes sense about the shrubs. My grapevine's growh is GONE. I don't know if I'll even get any

more vines this year - much less grapes.

My foundation is painted. I was just wondering about the porch.

[Omphaloskepsis]

2. I wouldn't paint the concrete..

But you should put something on it to protect it from water intrusion. I would ask at your local hardware store. They should be able to suggest something appropriate for your climate.

I don't know anything about plants.

[AllegroRondo]

3. Shrubbery

really depends on what kind of shrubbery it is.
Shrubs that can take a good trimming, like boxwood or barberry, go ahead and trim them back now.
Roses, wait until you see new growth so you know how far back the canes have died off.
Shrubs that dont normally get trimmed, you should give them some time to see if any new growth appears before you start trimming. For some it may be better just to dig them up and re-plant.

I've already lost 2 rose bushes, and another 2 are iffy. But the lilacs rebounded well and are giving a second round of flowers.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. I'd add to that: don't cut until after the final frost date for your area.

It' harder for most shrubs to recover from a late frost after the start of the Spring growth spurt, so if there is any chance for another one, the plant may be better off weathering it while somewhat dormant because of the dead frost tips.

[cally]

5. We never paint concrete

Maybe there's something unique about your concrete, but it's rare to see painted concrete in California. I've almost bought a house with painted concrete and I hear it's fairly difficult to remove. Are you sure it would be easy to scrape off or would you just easily remove patches and have a difficult time removing the rest?

[azmouse]

6. I've never painted concrete but then I live in a dry area.

Water isn't a problem in AZ. A sealant should be enough.

As for the bushes... wait until new growth appears before you trim them. Sometimes a branch isn't dead and there is no way to know until the new growth starts. We had a hard freeze here in AZ this year and several plants that doen't usually lose their leaves (like citrus trees) were brown and dead looking. There would have been no way to tell what was alive or dead until the new growth came out last month. Once the new growth was out we trimmed the dead branches.

Good luck!

[catmandu57]

8. It's entirely an astestic thing

maybe a ciat of clear seal if you're worried about water, but painting or not painting isn't going to affect how long it lasts. The shrubberey I don't have any idea, both of our rose bushes I think are beyond help now after that sustained cold period.