Winter damage to evergreens

Here is a link to some good information about winter damage to evergreens. As we are coming out of winter the signs of winter damage to evergreens will become more apparent. This is a good resource to help diagnose and decide what to do if you are experiencing damage to your evergreens.


http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/winter_brings_evergreen_damage?utm_source=Home+Gardening+-+MSU+Extension+News+-+03-13-15&utm_campaign=Home+Gardening+03-13-15&utm_medium=email

Think Spring

Spring is officially only 17 days away. It is hard to believe all this snow will be gone and the frigid temperatures will have subsided by then. Let's put our heads together and try and harness all of our positive thinking and get this spring started. Hope to see you soon.

Ornamental Grasses

Now is the time to cut down your ornamental grasses if you didn't do it in the fall. Cut them down to about 6-8" from the ground. Don't wait too long as new growth will begin to emerge as the weather warms.

Spring is nearing and I wanted to share a link to MSU extension that I came across recently. It pertains to Black Knot on ornamental trees. Species impacted are predominently in the Prunus family. Examples include Flowering Plum, Canada Red Chokecherry, Flowering Almond, and fruit producing forms of the Prunus family. If you have any of these varieties, inspect your trees and follow the management strategies suggested in this link. Much of this information relevent to trees in nursery production, but the management strategies and warning signs are applicable to anyone with these types of trees.

Hopefully you are not experiencing these problems, but it is always better to be proactive in the event that you do see some of the warning signs.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/black_knot_in_nurseries_check_for_galls_in_march

The showers end...now what

Well it seemed like it was never going to happen but our April and May showers may eventually end...we hope...maybe. With that being said, you may begin to notice a few things with your trees that you should be aware of.

First, if you have a maple tree that begins to drop some of its leaves, don't worry it is probably just leaf drop caused by the maple petiole borer. A large majority of the time this leads to tree owner concern, but at this point there is little to do and ultimately it will not cause damage to your tree. Ask more questions if 50% or more of the leaves are dropping.

Secondly, tent caterpillar are beginning to emerge. Grab a glove, pull or cut the web out and stomp them before they defoliate your tree.

Lastly, with all the rain it is easy to forget the watering needs of your trees. A general rule of thumb is that trees need the equivalent of about 1" of rain per week. Anything less than that and it may be a good idea to consider watering. This really applies to trees that have been newly transplanted less than 3 years. The most effective way is putting your hose at the base of the trunk on a slow trickle for 20-30 minutes so that the water can slowly feed the roots and not flood your lawn. This should only be done up to 2-3 times per week in the hot and dryer months.

Trees can make your home more enjoyable in the summer months so take the time to take care of them. As always, if you ever have questions ask a professional for advice.

Trees 'N' Scapes Inc. Staff

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Trees 'N' Scapes, Inc.