Ice Damage

[Roxie]

Today the local tree surgeon came to look over my ice damaged trees, and is charging a very reasonable amount to do the work, so we're all set for the second week in March. 

We have two white pines in the front of the house that flank the driveway.  They offer a windbreak, and privacy as well.  They've been there for 35 years, so they are quite large and a bucket truck will be needed to get the widow makers down and reshape the trees.  The tree surgeon is going to cut back the limbs that over hang the driveway, remove all the down limbs, and chip up and haul away. 

There is also a flowering plum tree that is dying in sections in the front yard, and he is going to cut it down, chip it up, and use the stump grinder to finish it off.  This is the only tree in the yard that I'll be glad to see go because it throws suckers continuously. 

Although I regret the necessity of having the pines cut back, mother nature is gonna do what mother nature does..  My question is will the pines "bleed" sap this spring in the damaged and trimmed areas?  They're gonna be all right, right? 

[Ianab]

My question is will the pines "bleed" sap this spring in the damaged and trimmed areas?  They're gonna be all right, right?

I would expect them too. It's part of the trees defence mechanism to bleed that sticky resin over a wound to help seal it against attack until the bark can grow over and seal it off properly.

It's more of a concern if they don't bleed around the wound, because that indicates the tree isn't very vigorous, and is having trouble sealing itself up again.

But trees in the forest get branches knocked out all the time, and they deal with it. A good tree surgeon will tidy up the damage in such a way they it will heal over faster, and remove the ugly and dangerous pieces left up there.

Ian

[Roxie]

Thank you for letting me know why they bleed!  Instead of dreading it and thinking of it as a negative, I'll look forward to the trees healing themselves.   

[thecfarm]

Roxie,the white pine I have,Eastern white pine,pinus strobus are not pitch bleders. I have cut them in the heat of the summer and no big deal.
If that plum is sucking out away from the stump,I use rock salt on them. I cut aspen in my grown up pasture. With them I cut the stumps kinda high,than take my chainsaw and cut a bowl into the stump 3-4 inches deep,an inch or 2 wide. Than I put rock salt and water in the bowl. I check on it quite often adding salt or water,whatever it needs.The salt is drawn down into the stumps,than roots,stops most of the sucking from the roots. But than the deer will come up and dig at the stump

[WDH]

You should be good as long as there is a pretty good crown with needles left.  Pine does not sprout from the bark like hardwood does, so only the growing tips make new branches and needles.  If all the growing tips (buds) get pruned away with little green crown left, they might not make it.  The haircut cannot be too severe.

If you cut all the crown off a hardwood, it will sprout a new one.  If you cut all the crown off a pine, you will have a dead pine. 

[Roxie]

Since I have only ever cut them back in the late fall, that was my concern.  When I took a limb out, it was all the way back to the trunk.  The ice storm did a real number on these two trees.  On one tree the top is untouched down to about twelve feet where the first limb broke off and is still hanging.  The second tree has several broken off limbs up to within six feet of the top. 

When I moved here 26 years ago, these two pines were the only trees on the property.  We called it "Little House on the Prairie" until I got some maples and such started. 

[Roxie]

Our tree surgeon was here yesterday, and here is a picture of the trees after cleanup.

 

 


So many limbs were broken, but I'm really pleased with how the trees look.  He did a great job of maintaining the basic shape, and as you can see, the tops look healthy. 

[Mooseherder]

Looks like the snow is melting also.

[Roxie]

Yes it is melting!  You know you've had a long winter when even the children are sick of the snow.   

[WDH]

At some point, if things don't go well, I see some knotty pine paneling in your future  .

However, looks like a very good job.  The squirrels will have a lot of white pine cones to gnaw for many more years I suspect. 

[thecfarm]

Glad you are happy with the trim job.

[Magicman]

Nice cleanup Roxie.   

I took a ride through my Tree Farm Saturday.  The limbs appear to have held up quite well within the plantation because the "neighbors" helped each other.  There were many limbs along the edges and roads that had broken for lack of support and fallen. 
 

 
The edges were lined with broken and fallen limbs.

[Roxie]

Did you find other damage than the pines?  I know what you are saying about the damage being lessened by group support, because my neighbor has five white pines and the only limbs he lost were the lower limbs.  My pines planted as individuals and windbreaks, really broke down top to bottom on the southern side (the angle of the picture). 

[Magicman]

Only the Pines Roxie.  Apparently their limbs are more brittle than the hardwoods so they snapped off.  Looking at the total picture, I was very lucky.