Show DYING SHRUBBERY such as this has a chance if owners take a little time in taking care of Severe winter damages trees By Dale Jablonski Area Forester This past winter has been a harsh one in many parts of As spring hopefully draws evidence can still be potholes in our depleted wood piles of still un-melted snow on the But there are other signs of the ef-f of this Most noticeably is the effect it has had on our In some cases the damage is seen as the reddening of the needles on our evergreens or the cracking of bark on the trunks of other What causes this how serious is it and what can be done about what has The damage r stems from several Rapid or excessive fluctuations in Frost cracks and Frozen A explanation of these sources and the damage each causes Rapid or extreme fluctuation of temperature The damage done to the evergreens is seen to be caused by this The color of the affected parts tends to be brown rather than On narrow leaved evergreens such as spruce and the needles are browned entirely and become Frost cracks Frost cracks are most likely to appear during times of extreme temperature The cracks are the result of great pressures placed on the tree by the uneven drying brought on by the weather The third that of frozen is caused by the placement of trees into poorly chained or by not providing for drainage when What can be done now that winter has done its Care be taken to aid winter injured trees regain their vigor and several cautions must be Severe pruning is not Any pruning should be deferred until the buds open in In this manner dead wood can easily be It is impractical to prune evergreen but do remove all dead Application of fertilizer in the spring is recommended to allow the tree to The best type of fertilizer is generally the type sold as tree spikes in most garden Follow directions for best |