In my travels this spring, I have visited many landscapes and have spoken with numerous nurseries and other landscapers that are part of the Central New York Nursery and Landscape Association. The number-one topic of discussion seems to be what plants took a beating this winter.
Although many people comment, “It was such a mild winter,” it was not for plants. We had many warm spells for periods that came close to what it takes to bring plants out of dormancy (a sleep mode they have which helps them survive the cold temperatures during the winter). Then the very cold temperatures came back to keep us in winter mode.
All plants have different levels of sugars in their sap, which act as antifreeze to prevent them from actually freezing. In the winter months, water levels drop and the sugars keep the buds viable. If a plant thinks it’s spring and starts to come out of dormancy, the new buds start to swell with moisture. The moisture has so much water in it that when the temperatures turn cold enough, the buds freeze and are damaged or killed. This is the main reason that a live Christmas tree cannot be kept in the house for more than 10 days. Most of the time, we see this happening to early flowering shrubs (i.e. forsythia).
This winter was a bit different. Cornell has put out a statement regarding the events of this winter and its effects on plants. (Go online to bit.ly/1Pav87r to view.)
The dry spells we had last year, paired with warm winter spells with no snow cover, put the available soil moisture levels very low. When the trees started to come out of dormancy during the early warm spell we had in late March/early April, there wasn’t enough moisture for them to absorb. Conifers could not replenish the moisture in their needles fast enough as their respiration rates increased. Christmas tree fields (and other conifers) looked fine all winter but two weeks into April, all or some of the needles turned brown from the bottom up.
Some trees in my field, mostly white and blue spruce, had anywhere from the bottom quarter to the entire tree turned brown. The new growth has now emerged and, on most trees, are fully greening up. Some did not on the lower branches. These trees will recover, but it will take two to three years before they are a saleable tree (as evergreens keep their older needles for three to five years).
Landscapes all over the county and beyond are showing other signs of this damage. Cherry trees and Japanese maples took a huge hit. I’ve seen Burning Bush, Forsythia, Trumpet Vine, Privet and even Viburnums killed almost back to the ground or many branches killed off. I have a large Green Ash Tree in my yard that I’ve been protecting from Emerald Ash Borer. It shades the west side of my house (finally) from hot afternoon sun. After this winter, at least half of the branches (and large ones too) are dead.
The big question that is being asked now is, What to do? At this point in the year, what has not budded out probably will not. It won’t do any harm to wait another month to see if any secondary buds can form and grow. In general though, if it’s dead, cut it out. If the entire tree or shrub is showing no signs of budding and the branches are brittle, take it out. If it has some life left in it and you are willing to have it look a little odd for awhile, then prune out the dead and give it some time (maybe one to two years) to start looking better.
Another thing that can help plants is to have them go into winter with enough moisture. A later November watering, especially to new or sensitive plantings, will go a long way to their survival. A long drought like we had last year will greatly affect the vigor of a plant. Few deep waterings for shrubs and trees is better than frequent short waterings. It promotes deeper root growth.
It’s hard to fight Mother Nature, but we certainly can work with her. Proper watering techniques, planting the appropriate plants for your region and adding extra help when the weather is challenging can go a long way. Plant guarantees are nice to get when purchasing a plant, but is the plant’s death really the grower’s fault? How long did it sit on the pavement before planting? Was it watered properly after planting? Were climate conditions too extreme? I’m not even sure if there is a “normal” season any more. We (and our plants) have to roll with the punches. Let’s try to help them as much as possible!
Julie Liebmann is the owner of Mrs. Green Jeans Landscaping and Rocking Horse Farm in Jamesville with over 30 years of experience in the landscaping business. Mrs. Green Jeans Landscaping services properties from Fayetteville, Tully, Otisco, to Cazenovia and in between. Rocking Horse Farm is a Christmas tree, apple orchard and pumpkin farm.
