Shake Those Arbs!

   The snow has finally arrived and it's feeling more like a typical Wisconsin winter again. With all of this wet heavy snow, our chances for a white Christmas have increased, but so have the chances for damage to our evergreen trees and shrubs. Anyone who has had to shovel this slushy mess knows that it can put a severe strain on the back. Now just imagine what all of that weight is doing to the branches of a 40' Colorado Blue Spruce or the 15' tall screen of Arborvitae on your property line.

   Although evergreens are somewhat flexible even during the winter, they can be strained beyond their ability to bend and eventually break. Evergreens are slow growing plants and when they lose a major limb, it can take 10 years or more to grow back! Spruce trees are most susceptible to loosing their leader (the tip of the tree) stunting their upward growth. Arborvitae, although appearing to be a single stem upright plant, are actually made up of several single trunks and can easily bend outward under the weight of the snow. Let's not forget about those Broadleaf Evergreens, things like Boxwood and Rhododendron. Although they are flexible, heavy wet snows can damage branches and leave open bare spots in the center of the shrub which may take years to fill in.

   If you're getting the urge to run outside and shake your fist at the snow flakes falling, try re-directing that energy and shake your Evergreens instead. The sooner you alleviate the pressure from the branches of your trees and shrubs the better. For the plants you can reach from the ground, simply grab hold of the branches or trunks and shake the snow loose. (be careful not to stand under them while doing so unless you are trying out for the part of Frosty in the local musical) For the higher branches, use a plastic leaf rake or long wooden pole to knock the branches clean. If you have some lower growing shrubs like Boxwood, Juniper, Yews or Rhododendron, you may want to carefully remove as much of the snow by hand, making sure not to damage any branches.

   Lastly, avoid propping up evergreen branches with homemade T-Squares, this creates a pivot point on which the branch will potentially break under the snow load. For Arborvitae, consider using a soft nylon rope to tie the trunks together to help give them added support when it snows. Just be sure to remove the rope in spring, so it doesn't damage the trunks. If your Evergreen shrubs are small enough, consider wrapping them in burlap. this not only adds support but protects them from the winter winds as well.

   Watching the snow fall on a quiet winter night with a cup of hot apple cider is a great way to spend an evening. Unfortunately, not all snow storms are as Rockwellesque as we would like. When the wet heavy snow does fall, be sure to check your evergreens for bending branches. A few minutes can save decades of growth on your landscape plants.