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Damaged plants need heavy pruning

Question: A number of my landscape plants including roses and small shrubs were whipped by the winds, suffering limb damage, How much pruning should I do?

Answer: Damaged limbs are ideal spots for insects and diseases to enter your plants. Even though you may have to perform severe pruning, it is better for the plants. Remove damaged portions back to healthy intact stems and trunks. In some cases this may mean pruning roses and shrubs to near the ground. Keep in mind that most roses are grafted so stay above the large swollen areas, usually within 6 inches of the ground.

Q: We have a newly-planted tree that is now slightly leaning after the storm. Can it be pulled upright without root damage?

A: Expect to damage some roots but you need to get this tree upright as soon as possible. If the tree is very new and only leaning slightly, pulling and tying the tree to posts or anchors to renew the upright position should be possible. Be sure to firm the soil around the root ball to also help hold the tree in place.

When a tree has been in the ground for a short while but is sending out roots into the surrounding area, loosening of roots opposite the side to which the tree is leaning may be necessary. Dig under the roots and remove some of the soil, then pull the tree upright and add ties attached to sturdy posts or anchors to hold it in an upright position. Replace soil lost from the roots.

After getting any tree or shrub upright, give the plant normal establishment care. Keep the soil moist and continue to monitor water needs for several months.

Q: I planted eight azalea bushes this spring and have given them good care but they seem to wilt very easily. Is this normal or do I need to do something?

A: Wilting plants are not what you like to see, but with new azaleas it could be normal. The plants are very slow to grow out of their root balls and even though you do a good job of watering and it rains, they may still be dry. Azaleas really are not on their own for about two years after planting.

With all the rains we have received it may be hard to believe, but most likely the root balls have dried at some point and now need to be re-wet. Create small berms of soil at the edge of the original root balls to hold water. When you water the plants, the moisture has to run down through the root balls to re-wet the soil. Keep the berms in place and give the azaleas extra care through next spring.

Q: We have a large 2-foot diameter laurel oak tree that is leaning just a little after the storm. Some of the roots are lifted up partially out of the ground. Does this size tree normally survive when this happens?

A: Just a little list to a large laurel oak makes it a hazardous tree. Observations during Florida hurricanes found many older laurel oaks with weak and rotting root systems. Even if your tree is healthy, it’s doubtful the uprooted portion can successfully anchor back in the ground. The tree will always be susceptible to winds. Regretfully the tree should probably be removed, but have a certified arborist check the tree to reaffirm this recommendation.

Q: One of our oak trees lost a major limb and now there is a large open wound. What is the best way to seal the area so it will not be continually wet by the rains?

A: Research has shown paints and sealants are of little value when it comes to protecting tree wounds. Some studies even suggest they impede wound healing and keep the wounds moist to encourage decay.

Your job is to remove loose bark from the wound area and then provide normal care for the tree to help it grow and enclose the damage. With big trees, this is likely a job for a certified arborist. Regretfully, when the wounds are extensive they are often too large for the tree to heal. Over time they may develop decay that weakens the limbs or trunk of the tree.

Now would be a good time for an arborist to determine if the tree is worth saving. If a major portion of the tree is lost, it may be best to have it removed. Otherwise, at least yearly inspections are suggested to determine the stability of the tree and additional care that may be needed.

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