By Carol Mowdy Bond
Contributing Writer
Saving ice-damaged trees and plants requires some green thumb savvy. And you may have to decide whether or not to remove the tree or plant, or try to save it.
There are tips aplenty in an online article titled “Winter Snow Removal Tips for the Garden” by Jeff Stafford at www.hgtv.com, and another titled “Ice Storm Damage to Plants” by Nicole Stoner at plantsandpests.word.press.
After heavy snow or ice hits your plants, don’t shake off the ice or snow. Doing so can cause additional damage to branches or plants. While damage may have already occurred, it’s best to wait until all the ice or snow melts and then assess the damage.
If the ice split your tree into two pieces, it may be time to remove the tree. It’s a tough decision. But sometimes it has to be done.
If there are broken and fallen branches, assess the damage to wood as soon as weather permits. If a limb is broken, be sure to make a clean cut rather than leave the jagged edge. A clean cut makes it harder for insects or disease to enter the distressed area. Also, the clean cut allows the tree to naturally heal the wound. Leaving the jagged edge can lead to decay.
There are different ways to protect your property before the next blizzard arrives. For those trees and plants that are damaged, check for dead limbs or signs of weakness. You may need a professional arborist to help you determine whether trees or branches have insect damage or other issues.
They could be suffering from dieback which is a condition where the branch begins to die from the tip to the base.
You’ll want to remove the dead, damaged or diseased branches before the next storm. This may help avoid potential damage.
You can protect fragile plants from freezing. Put up a wind screen.
This can easily be done by taking a piece of burlap and two stakes.
Make a sort of wind block that catches the wind before hitting the bush or bushes. For even more protection, make a teepee around them using burlap and bamboo stakes.
If possible, always wrap plants in burlap before a hard freeze.
Burlap is great because it is a woven material.
It lets air pass in and out so there’s less danger that a heat moisture trap will be created.
Remove the burlap when the cold spell is over. In so doing, you keep the plants from overheating.
One thing is for sure. It’s unwise to wrap plants in plastic.
Winter is usually a good time to prune deciduous trees.
For evergreen trees and shrubs, you should probably wait until the last winter freeze before pruning.
And don’t prune trees while the ground is frozen. It will cause trees to lose a lot of water and moisture.It’s important to keep plants well hydrated even in the winter. Evergreen plants lose moisture through their leaves in winter.
Well hydrated plants are more likely to survive a hard freeze.
