The Spring Freeze: Wait and See
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May 6, 2007
"The hickories and white oaks were the earliest to show new buds, with the yellow poplars (top left) following. The red oaks that have been trailing behind are finally developing new leaves." |
"What we saw... one month after the freeze"
On the one month anniversary of the 2007 Freeze, the warming temperatures were encouraging the damaged native trees to produce new growth. The hickories and white oaks were the earliest to show new buds, with the yellow poplars (top left) following. The red oaks that had been trailing behind were finally developing new leaves. Some non-native trees such as the Katsura-tree were recovering nicely. After a spectacular bloom season, many of the saucer magnolias leaf growth that had appeared before the freeze were beginning to re-appear. Japanese maples were sprouting new growth - but at three nodes back from the branch tips. New buds were appearing on the ginkgos and dawn redwoods. The rhododendrons appeared to be undamaged and were in full bloom, but the blossoms on the Kousa dogwoods were sparse on some trees.
However, the recovery process was not complete, as Larry Tankersley, Extension Forester, UT Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries pointed out in the article below:
Notes on the 2007 Spring Freeze
Our trees in general exhausted a great deal of energy, stored carbohydrates that are typically allocated for setting up the current year's canopy. Damaged trees will now have to mobilize stored carbohydrate and do it again. Many trees will also have to "find" dormant or otherwise suppressed buds or reconfigure other tissue into meristems (buds) and supply them with carbohydrate to set up a new set of leaves for this year's growth.
This whole process will take time. Could be weeks up to 6 or 8 I'm guessing. This of course will depend on the temperature and water supply in the coming weeks.
Two things do concern me. One is our current water deficit. Second is our opportunistic friends, insects and fungi. Insects expecting to feed on leaves that are not present will be voracious on plants with leaves. Fungi will be more subtle but will take advantage of potentially weakened defense systems that are "underfunded" with carbohydrate being used to set up a canopy.
These are really just a "model" that my peers are using as most of us are too young to have ever actually seen this. Some of my buddies from Michigan have observed this and are generally encouraging us that a mass die off is not common. Canopies will however be sparse relative to typical years for the astute forest watcher, but by mid-June, we are expecting most folks will not be able to tell and will have forgotten the current conditions.
Cross your fingers and pray if you do that kinda thing.
Water plants that you can but do not fertilize and restrain yourself for pruning until you can definitively determine what is dead and what is not. I'm guessing by the first of June. Tissue removed indiscriminately may contain precious carbohydrate and fertilization may also elicit a mobilization of carbohydrate to the roots while the tree needs it in the vegetative tissue.
We could go on, ... mast, soft and hard. ??????
Return to "The Spring 2007 Freeze"
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