Cold snap did a number on a my trees...

[Cybercowboy]

In particular two Magnolia trees, which bloomed several weeks ago and have 2-3" leaves. Or should I say limp hanging leaf-like things. Also a Japanese maple which had lots of nice red leaves is turning brown at an alarming rate, and what leaves aren't brown yet appear to be well on their way.

It got down to 19 degrees Saturday night. I'm in SW Missouri. Short of just crossing my fingers and hoping somehow they come out of it, is there anything proactive I can do at this point?

One of the magnolia trees is small (18 months) and would not be a big deal to replace. The other one is almost 10 years old and well established. The Japanese maple is almost 10 years old also (ages based on when I planted them from the nursery...)

They came through the recent ice storm this winter relatively unscathed but now this. Sigh.

 

[ben14826]

The two older ones will probably snap out of it and recover better than you might think. They'll probably be fine as long as the weather straightens up soon. The young one may not fair so well. When the tree thinks it is spring and puts all its energy into budding and leafing, it has left itself vulnerable. It may die, it may not, but you probably won't know until next year or late this year. Plan on having to possibly replace it. Right now all you can do is wait. When the weather breaks, keep an eye on them and water them as needed.

 

[Cybercowboy]

The weather has improved since then and hopefully won't get under freezing any more this season. I guess I'll just take a wait and see then.

 

[appalachianarbo]

Like ben said, it's a wait and see game. Many healthy trees will be able to "activate" their dormant buds and produce another crop of leaves during the season. Others will just wait until the next spring. Others, however, will just give up the ghost. Japanese maples are somewhat hardy, but it's hard to say what will happen.

 

[ddhlakebound]

The problems we are seeing right now here are compounded by the fact that a great many of our trees were 30 -80% destroyed in january's ice storm. Most of our trees lost a significant amount of their canopy in the ice. Then we got 3-4 weeks of beautiful spring weather, from mid march til april. All the trees were in early to mid stages of leafing out, and we got hit with a four day spell of 20 degree lows easter weekend. Alot of trees are covered in brown, black, or grey dead new growth leaves. I'm worried many will not have the reserves to survive.

Big ole double whammy. Our trees were already badly stressed before they got put into the easter deep freeze.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Like ben said, it's a wait and see game. Many healthy trees will be able to "activate" their dormant buds and produce another crop of leaves during the season. Others will just wait until the next spring. Others, however, will just give up the ghost. Japanese maples are somewhat hardy, but it's hard to say what will happen.

I've never heard of trees losing all their leaves due to freezing early in the season, and going the whole growing season without leaves, and still be able to leaf out the following year. I'm not saying it's not possible, I just wanted to know a little more about it. Are some species more capable of surviving a growing season without any leaves, then growing a canopy the following year? Anybody else know anything about this?

 

[Cybercowboy]

I also have a Tulip tree that is in the same shape as the big Magnolia, didn't realize it was hit so hard too. My neighbors have Tulip trees, Japanese maples, and cherry trees, and so forth and they look about like mine do - terrible.

Amazingly the big peach tree still looks pretty good. Of course it won't bear any fruit this year. The maples (I have five) look like they'll be fine, as will the hickory and walnut trees.

Lots of flowering shrubs are going to die though, pretty sure about that. Hopefully I'll know for sure in a few weeks so I can replant.

 

[treeseer]

Lots of flowering shrubs are going to die though, pretty sure about that. Hopefully I'll know for sure in a few weeks so I can replant.

What is your rush? Patience, grasshopper. I cut a 10" dia. branch broken by ice back to a stub and it did not leaf out for 2 years. It takes a long time for buds to form or release.

Yes there have also been cases of whole plants staying leafless for an entire growing season, then flushing the next spring. Scratch the bark--if you see green there is hope. You may do more harm than good by acting too soon.

 

[Cybercowboy]

Alright, alright I'll be patient. It isn't so much me, it's my wife who's the one wanting to dig everything up. Probably because it will be me doing the actual digging. LOL

 

[aarcuda]

I have an oak thats doing the same thing

And I need you guys to reassure me that its going to come back sometime.

This oak has a trunk thats about 25" diameter and was full of leaves last year. We had the same cold spell as missouri but not as bad. Now all my other trees (all oak and hicklory) are full of leaves except for this big guy. Its completely bare.

I was thinking I killed it cause I cut off 2 limbs last year (about 8") diameter and put up a tire swing for the kids AND NOW THERES NO LEAVES!!

I seriously doubt the cutting and the tire swing killed it but I have no other reason as to why its not leafing.

Should I still let the kids use the tire swing? I dont want them to get hurt. How can I see if this tree is still alive?

 

[kevinj]

And I need you guys to reassure me that its going to come back sometime.
Should I still let the kids use the tire swing? I dont want them to get hurt. How can I see if this tree is still alive?

I think an oak tree with a 25" dia. will be fine. I'm sure for the last 40 yrs. or so it has been through stressful times.
Take one of the smaller branches and using your fingernail, scratch off some old the soft bark. If you see green underneath, it's still growing.

 

[Cybercowboy]

My neighbor's big oak trees have yet to leaf out. They were just starting to pollinate when the freeze hit and haven't done much of anything since, but it looks like there are buds on the trees now. I have a smaller oak and it is fine, as is all our maples and bradford pear trees. Our big hickory tree is starting to bud out now, and our big walnut is still bare but I'm pretty sure will be fine. Last fall the electric company wacked quite a few branches off the hickory, oak, and walnut tree for what it's worth.

The magnolias, japanese maple, and tulip tree just look dead still as do all our neighbor's. It's like fall, I have dried up leaves blowing all over my back patio. The big peach tree still has its leaves but it has actually managed to look worse day-by-day now for the last 15 days or so since the freeze.

 

[aarcuda]

I'll take some pictures tonight and try and check a branch like you mentioned but that may take a while as they are pretty far up there.

But I sure hope its still alive. It is a great looking tree

 

[aarcuda]

well, I on the way home from work, I took a look around and I saw that there were LOTS of trees in the same condition all over the place. I guess Im lucky that out of all the trees on my property, only one is bare.

I guess we are going to have a brown summer instead of green. it looks almost like fall in some places