Winter Wisdom

Brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State University Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.   Each week we feature interesting topics for winter reading.

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  Week of 1/20/03

This article from February 1st of 2002 is reprinted by request.  It deals with preventive pruning and maintenance of mature trees in the home landscape to preserve their appearance and viability following ice or storm damage.

Almost forty years ago, my wife and I were driving aimlessly down a side street in the older part of Overland Park when we passed a house for sale on a large, heavily wooded lot.  It was the profusion of trees and shrubs, large even then, that captured our attention and our hearts.  Our delight was intensified because we lived at the time in a small house on a miniscule lot carved out recently from a Kansas wheat field.  Happily, our offer was accepted and we became the owners of this latter day Eden.

At least twice during the period of our ownership, the trees were devastated by ice storms and their branches bent low and broken by the incredible weight of ice and snow.  And twice, they recovered, although some still bear the scars of earlier onslaughts.  At one point many years ago, my young son, upon surveying the damages opined, " I guess God has just been doing His pruning".

The view of our front and back yards last Wednesday morning reminded me of those previous storms and their destruction.  It also reminded me of the trees' ability to recover, and that Nature inevitably has the last word!  It is good to know that there are some things that we can do with the longer view in mind.

We need to carefully remove downed branches when the danger of live wires has been removed and prepare them for pick up which will eventually come.

In the case of badly split trees, it is almost a tree-by-tree decision as to whether or not they should be salvaged.  Removal is an expensive proposition, but the damage may be so severe that the tree represents a hazard, or although still viable, its appearance will make its removal desirable. 

By now, you know that little can be done for heavily iced branches.  Propping or tying them up may help some smaller branches.  Warmer air and melting are the only solution for many large trees.  Commercial assistance will usually be needed to prune or remove damaged parts high up in the tree.  The best thing many of us can do is to plan ahead by doing some preventive pruning.  Here are a few things you might think about to limit the extent of future damage from wind, ice or snow.

• Pursue a regular maintenance program to remove dead, diseased or unsightly branches.
• Remove water sprouts growing around the tree's base.
• Remove branches growing in toward the tree's center or cross branches that rub and cause bark damage.
• Remember, it's never too late to reduce the number of narrow, acute angle crotches, although it is much easier when the tree is young.  Select the main scaffold or lateral branches that grow at wide angles to the trunk. These should be stronger and resist splitting.
• Prune your trees to encourage their natural or characteristic form.
• If you are starting with a new tree, choose a species or variety whose normal growth form has wider angled branching.  One to avoid is the notorious "Bradford" pear with its narrow-angled crotches that split easily under stress. Most nurseries stock other varieties of Callery pear that bloom profusely but have wider branching patterns than Bradfords.

Broken branches that can be reached may be cut back to the collar at the main trunk. The use of creosote-type wound dressings is no longer recommended.  Wounds tend to heal more satisfactorily when left open to air and light.

It may be beneficial to thin the tree's top growth to reduce wind resistance, promote symmetry and strengthen it structurally.  This is distinctly different from "topping" a tree.  Doing this will ruin the appearance of the tree and lead to future problems.

Consult your County Extension office for publications that detail pruning of trees and shrubs of all sizes and kinds. 

With a carefully planned program of care, you may enjoy your trees through many a storm to come!

Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.

2001 - 2002 Winter Wisdom Archive
2000 - 2001 Winter Wisdom Archive

* Winter Wisdom is an information service of the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.  Research-based responses are provided by Extension Master Gardener volunteers weekdays from March 1 through October 31, from 9:00 am to 4:30pm .  To telephone, call (913) 764-6306 or visit the Extension Office at 13480 South Arapaho Drive, Olathe, Kansas.  Visit their website at www.oznet.ksu.edu/Johnson 

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