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January 5, 2005 |
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Wintry Welcome...
What a way to welcome 2005! Kevin
and I lay awake in bed last night
looking at the clock every hour just waiting for the power to go
out. Sure enough, at 4:00 AM we heard
the loud hum of a
failed transformer and there we were, no electricity. We
knew it was just a matter of time. Kevin and I jokingly tried to
guess the exact hour when we would lose
power. That may sound kind of crazy but when you live in our
neck of the woods losing power has become a constant we have had
to learn to live with. One disadvantage to living in a community
with mature trees. A risk worth taking but frustrating
nonetheless. A storm like this is always a good reminder to make
sure your trees are pruned regularly.
The family
spent most of the day huddled together in front of the fireplace
playing games - trying to amuse one another without driving each
other crazy. We bundled ourselves up in layers of clothing,
blankets and anything else we could find knowing that there was a
bit of uncertainty as to when the power would be back on. Luckily
power returned around 7:30 this evening and things are back to
normal. Just in time - especially since
the temperatures are supposed to dip
dangerously low tonight. I have to thank all of the hard working
people at the power companies. They
brave these conditions to make sure
that others are warm and comfortable. Job well done!
Our Arctic
Willow
(photo)
is
hanging over the driveway,
bending at the the trunk. I am hoping that once the ice starts to
melt that it will bounce back. I sure would hate to lose it. It
is such a beautiful tree and it plays such a significant role in
the landscape. Only time will tell whether it will have weathered
the storm. Everything else in the garden is covered with a
blanket of ice. It is pretty but lethal. Hopefully this will be
the first and last ice storm of the winter.
Have you
made your donation to the
Breast
Cancer 3-Day?
~
Shelly
Savvy Storm Damage Repair...
As mentioned above our trees are getting hit hard by the
ice. Chances are yours are too. Here's some good tips to get
you started on cleaning up and fixing up those damaged trees:
- Clean-up: Remove
all the debris so you don't trip over it.
- Decide whether it
is feasible to save a tree. If the bark has been split so the
cambium is exposed or the main trunk split, the tree will
probably not survive and should be removed. If there are so
many broken limbs that the form of the tree is destroyed,
replacement will be the best option. Topping, where all the
main branches are cut back so that there are only stubs left,
is not a recommended pruning procedure. Though new branches
will normally arise from the stubs, they are not as firmly
attached as the original branches and will likely break in
subsequent storms. Also, the tree must use a lot of energy to
make these new branches, leaving less to fight off diseases and
insect attacks. Often, the topped tree's life is shortened.
- Broken branches
should be pruned back to the next larger branch or back to the
trunk. If cutting back to the trunk, do not cut flush to the
trunk, but make the cut at the collar area. The collar area is
the transition area between the branch and the trunk. Cutting
flush with the trunk will leave a much larger wound than
cutting at the collar and will take longer to heal.
Large limbs
should be taken off in stages. If you try to take off a large
limb in one cut, it will often break before the cut is finished
and strip bark from the tree.
- First make a cut
about 15 inches from the trunk. Start from the bottom and cut
one-third of the way up through the limb.
- The second should
be made from the top down but started 2 inches further away
from the trunk than the first cut. The branch will break away
as you make the second cut.
- The third cut is
made to remove the stub that is left and is made at the collar
area.
Note: This can be dangerous! Consider hiring a trained
arborist to do major work such as this.
Also, a
good arborist knows how to prune trees so that storm breakage is
less likely to occur. Preventing damage is better than trying to
fix it once it has happened.
Source
Dealing With Trees Damaged By Ice...
Tree limbs (and even trees themselves)
were knocked down across the metro by this week's ice and snow.
If you and your trees were victims of this week's wintry mess
take a moment to read our feature article,
Dealing With Trees Damaged by Ice...
Financial Loss from
Damaged Trees
...
Along with assessing structural damage to property caused by a
storm, property owners may need to calculate the financial loss
represented by damage to trees and other landscaping. The
Virginia Cooperative Extension has an article available to
discuss this very topic. You will find more information
here:
Assessing Landscape Tree Loss after a Disaster
More
Tips For Troubled Trees...
We've scoured the Internet for the best advice on repairing
storm-damaged trees. We've decided that these three articles
should be of interest to anyone with tree damage. Your feedback
is always appreciated...
-
Repairing Storm Damage to Trees
Published by Michigan State
University Extension this is a very comprehensive article
complete with simple but effective diagrams detailing proper
cutting techniques and tree wound treatments.
-
Managing Storm Damaged Trees
Published by Iowa State University Extension this document is
also quite comprehensive and includes color photos. It is in
PDF format and is best printed first and read on paper.
-
How to Select an Arborist or Tree Service
Frankly, this article published by the University of Nebraska
Cooperative Extension is a must-read. Many of our trees have
gone through such major damage that a professional should be
called in. This article is a good primer for the questions you
should ask when selecting that professional.
Houseplant Help...
This month is a good time to remember your houseplants. If
any of them are getting too big for their pots simply divide them
and re-pot. While you are at it give them some TLC by doing the
following:
- Prune
judiciously. A light trim is usually sufficient.
- Check for bugs.
Aphids and other critters can usually be eradicated with some
insecticidal soap.
- Make sure the low
winter sun isn't hurting your plants placed near windows. You
can relocate them or simply rotate them periodically if
necessary.
- A different
window related problem may be the cold. Leaves don't like
touching cold glass.
- If your house is
really dry (like mine) make sure you mist your plants
occasionally.
Boughs For Beds...
Many of our readers are disposing
of a Christmas tree in the very near future. Why not put that
tree to some beneficial use?
- Evergreen boughs
are great insulators and can be effectively used as a mulching
material on flower beds.
-
The whole tree itself makes a nice temporary
protective habitat for birds. Place it in the garden near your
bird feeders.
Keep Off The Grass...
When temperatures plummet your
grass will respond by moving water to areas outside the cells.
Ice accumulates in spaces between the cells and individual grass
blades become brittle. Walking on frozen turf will force the ice
and cells together and can cause permanent damage to your lawn.
Do your best to avoid it.
Finally...
"The stag bells,
winter snows, summer has gone
Wind high and cold, the sun low, short its course
The sea running high.
Deep red the bracken; its shape is lost;
The wild goose has raised its accustomed cry,
Cold has seized the birds' wings;
Season of ice, this is my news." ~
Irish poem, 9th Century |
