Cold Burn 101
We know it can be a little stressful to see browning leaves or broken branches after a long winter. Before you worry, remember:
Nature is resilient, and so are your plants.
Is it Dead, or Just Dormant?
If your evergreens look brown or discolored, they likely have "Winter Burn." This happens due to abnormally cold temperatures and snow. It’s common on many evergreen plants.
The Good News: Your plant is likely just dormant! Once the soil warms up, new green growth will push through.
Winter Burn Recovery Steps
Scratch a brown branch. If it’s green underneath, It’s alive!
Give them a good drink as the ground thaws.
Use a slow-release fertilizer once new growth appears to help them bounce back.
Handling Branch Damage
Heavy snow and ice sheets can sometimes snap branches. Use clean shears to prune off the broken or "ugly" bits. This tells the plant to stop wasting energy on the damage and start growing something new. A little fertilizer and some patience go a long way.
Our Guarantee
We stand behind our plants! To qualify, your plant must be confirmed dead, planted in the ground (except houseplants), and have received reasonable care.
Here is how our protection plan works:
Note: We typically wait until late April to process replacements. Many plants are "late sleepers" and just need a few extra weeks of sunshine to wake up!
Exceptions: We cannot guarantee plants against animal damage.
How to Request a Replacement
Check Your Timeline: Verify that your plant is still within the guarantee window based on your purchase date and discount level.
No Receipt? No Problem! If you can’t find your paper receipt, don't worry. As long as you are registered in our customer database, we can look up your purchase history for you.
Consult the Experts: Before digging anything up, send a photo to gepotomacstore@gmail.com or bring one into the store. We always prefer to try and save a struggling plant first!
The Credit: If your plant is confirmed dead, we will issue a store credit to your account for the value of the original plant. (If you decide to go with a larger size for the replacement, you just pay the difference!)
Installation: If we originally installed the plant for you, we will also take care of removing the old one and installing the new one at no extra cost.
Note:To keep things fair, replacement plants do not receive an additional guarantee.