Trees recovering?

[Chuck52]

The cold snap last month that did in the south's peach crop hit Missouri, too. I was out yesterday seeing if any of my trees looked like they might not recover, but all my pecan, Carpathian walnut, almond, apple, peach, plum and cherry trees seem to be setting new leaves at last. I thought a two year old Whtiney crab apple was a goner because all it's leaves had died and it didn't seem to be coming back, but it's finally getting some new leaves. A Graniwinkle apple actually seems to have produced a few new blooms and may make some fruit. We may have lost the majority of the rose bushes. All went in last year, and of the twelve in the garden only one has obvious new growth showing. I'll wait for final judgement. The All-in-one almond was a surprise. It is described as "hardy", but I figured that meant it would survive a cold winter, not just shrug off the deep freeze we got in March after it had leafed out. The cold didn't even seem to do much more than singe the leaves. Hardy for sure, since it killed the leaves on about all the other trees.

Anyone else lost trees or shrubs?

Chuck

 

[LMTC]

Most of our fruit trees seem to be recovering, and our ornamental cherries stood it well, but our weeping mulberry trees appear to have been fatally struck. They were in bud, and the buds burned. Still no sign of new leaves. NWS said our area was officially at 17* the night of plant-death-by-frost, and our own reading at the house was.....(drum roll, please) 13*

 

[GaryM]

I'm also in Mid-Missouri, well a little East perhaps, and most of my trees are now getting leaves. No fruit trees, but lots of Hickory and Oaks.

 

[jeffinsgf]

I have two Japanese maples planted last year that I still fear are goners. The ice storm almost got them, then they were nearly fully leafed out when we had 4 days in a row with lows in the teens. I had planted three different kinds of dogwoods just a week before the deep freeze. They all seem to have survived, but will not be attractive this year. Several very young arrowwood viburnums I planted just a few days before the freeze hit seem to have benefitted from it! They are thriving. A three year old (to us) buckeye also weathered the radical temperature change with no ill effects.

Here in Springfield we had the warmest March on record, followed by an entire week of record or near record cold. My zoysia lawn was nearly fully green, then went brown again and is just about to come back out. I think I lost all my native iris for this year, though the plants seem to have survived.

Very weird Spring. At least we're getting some moisture this year. Last year we had drought conditions in April (unheard for Missouri -- I think the April Showers jingle was written here).

 

[Chuck52]

Seems like there was a wide swath of similar temperatures about that time early March. Most of my trees leafed out and some bloomed. The asparagus started producing. Lettuce, spinach, garlic and radishes were going to town. The Kaboom! We got to about 13F one night and were in the teens for three night, with freezing temps at night for a full week. My two year old plums were loaded with blooms and looked just plain pitiful until the last couple of days when they started putting on new leaves. I was really concerned about my pecans and Carpathian walnuts, they looked so bad. The pecans are Peruque, Pawnee and Colby, and the first two are questionable in Zone 5. I planted them anyway since we seem to be slowly becoming Zone 6, but no matter what zone you're in a deep freeze like we had following such a warm spell can be a disaster. Looks like we dodged the bullet so far as tree death is concerned, but I bet they don't put on as much new growth as they would have. I'm already pushing the time frame for getting pecans before I get too old to crack them!

Notice I don't seem too concerned about the roses? They're the wife's thing. Pretty, but you can't live on rose hips.

Chuck

 

[schmism]

my peach lost all its buds, but its leaves did really well with a low of ONLY 22...

my japanize maple has taken its time releafing but its going to make it.

my sick oak isnt doing well

 

[JRobyn]

Do we have any knowledgeable botanists/arborists on here that can say what will happen to the native tree species that were hard-hit? For example, two nights of temps at or below 18 deg caused all of the poplar tree leaves in my area of TN to turn black and drop. Will they re-leaf? Or are they toast? Most of the various hickory species look equally bad. Is there any chance of a mast crop this year from any mast-bearing trees? I fear there's gonna be a lot of starving wildlife next winter!

 

[N80]

I'm no botanist but I do have a lot of poplars and they did the same thing as yours. Now I have leaves in my yard like it was fall. But the answer is yes, the will re-leaf, at least that is what mine are doing now. I have a bunch of sawtooth oaks and post oaks that got hit hard down on my property. Have not been back to see if they are getting new leaves yet.

 

[Chuck52]

Looks like the trees in this area will recover, though I bet there won't be much of a mast crop this year. For me that will probably mean more pressure on my plantings from the wildlife. Last year we lost peaches and apples to coons and squirrels in part due to a lengthy drought. This year there won't be any peaches, but I do have a few apples on some of the trees that didn't flower until after the freeze. Maybe there will be more wild stuff produced than we think, however, because the big elm in my yard managed to make seeds, or at least whatever those flat, round things with bumps in the middle are. I always figured they were seeds even though they get shed early in the spring.

Anyone with fruit trees had best be especially careful about caterpillars and other leaf eaters. After those trees recover friom the freeze they really won't need the extra stress from insects. Last year my Whitney crab was almost stripped overnight by some kind of black and white caterpillar. It's just now getting a few new leaves, so I'm watching it closely. I'd spray, but we seem to be in the middle of an endless period of rain. I figure a good crop here would be a genetic cross between rice and cactus, as I am sure the rain will end and the big dry will follow. Gotta love Missery.

Chuck

 

[N80]

I'm worried about the acorn crop too. We had a bounty this year. However, in terms of hunting, I've noticed something over the years, at least on my property which is the only place I hunt. When we have big acorn crops, we don't necessarily have more deer. I'm sure the deer are healthier and fatter, but when there is a big acorn crop, it is a regional thing. That means acorns are everywhere. When they are everywhere it means 1) there is nothing special about my place unless I plant something better than acorns (which there is no such thing) and 2) I think they actually move less (except during the rut) when acorns can be found everywhere.

Our best hunting comes when we have a patch here and apatch there of acorns. Then they come to the acorns. When there are no acorns, I'm hoping my skimpy little food plots will bring them in.