Palm trees are a quintessential part of the Florida landscape. What residents and gardeners there may not know is that they are available in many species. However, they are not able to tolerate extremely low temperatures indefinitely, and so when they are cold-damaged they need special attention. Florida Keys tree services can provide advice and assistance in treating and potentially saving damaged palms.
An interesting fact about the palm tree's life cycle is that its new leaves grow and mature in the summer. This is something that has to be taken into account in tending to the damaged tree. The buds or spears that are visible on the trunk are the miniature shoots from which the new leaves grow and develop. It is these spears that are used in inspecting trees and determining if they are going to survive or how bad the damage is.
So, once the damage has been done by the cold snap or bad weather, the first thing to do is to check the spears. You simply look at them, since you can tell by eye what the situation is. Also, pull on one or two of them with your fingers. The spear might snap off and come away in your hand. If it is still green, the tree has a hope of recovery.
Once this has been ascertained, it is time to start pruning. Cut off all the dead leaves and branches. But do not prune the partially brown leaves - these are still required by the tree. They yet produce the nutrients that are needed for the growth of their replacement leaves in the summer. They are still active in the tree's structure and should be allowed to remain on it.
As curious as it may sound, a tree is also susceptible to infection by bacteria. This is a significant threat to the tree after it has suffered cold damage. More often, though, trees are attacked by fungi. In order to protect against these infections, disinfectant sprays are available on the market. These are cooper-based sprays that should be sprayed onto the spears.
Also available on the market are cold protection compounds. These are supposed to give the tree or plant more resistance to lower temperatures. Fertilizer is another issue that requires proper advice to understand. It needs to be provided at the right time. It should not be provided in winter, but only at the start of the tree's growth time, which is summer.
Cold damage can take a very long time to recover from. A tree might take as long as one year to start growing normally again after cold damage, and signs of the damage might still be apparent for that time. The damaged spears will not grow into normal leaves. They will produce deformed or partially brown leaves the following summer.
A tree is a long-term plant in a garden or landscape and as such it is not easy to simply abandon it to death or felling. Assessing whether a palm tree is going to recover from cold damage takes time, even months. For those who are not sure as to how to make this assessment, contact tree services in Ramrod Key FL for more information.
An interesting fact about the palm tree's life cycle is that its new leaves grow and mature in the summer. This is something that has to be taken into account in tending to the damaged tree. The buds or spears that are visible on the trunk are the miniature shoots from which the new leaves grow and develop. It is these spears that are used in inspecting trees and determining if they are going to survive or how bad the damage is.
So, once the damage has been done by the cold snap or bad weather, the first thing to do is to check the spears. You simply look at them, since you can tell by eye what the situation is. Also, pull on one or two of them with your fingers. The spear might snap off and come away in your hand. If it is still green, the tree has a hope of recovery.
Once this has been ascertained, it is time to start pruning. Cut off all the dead leaves and branches. But do not prune the partially brown leaves - these are still required by the tree. They yet produce the nutrients that are needed for the growth of their replacement leaves in the summer. They are still active in the tree's structure and should be allowed to remain on it.
As curious as it may sound, a tree is also susceptible to infection by bacteria. This is a significant threat to the tree after it has suffered cold damage. More often, though, trees are attacked by fungi. In order to protect against these infections, disinfectant sprays are available on the market. These are cooper-based sprays that should be sprayed onto the spears.
Also available on the market are cold protection compounds. These are supposed to give the tree or plant more resistance to lower temperatures. Fertilizer is another issue that requires proper advice to understand. It needs to be provided at the right time. It should not be provided in winter, but only at the start of the tree's growth time, which is summer.
Cold damage can take a very long time to recover from. A tree might take as long as one year to start growing normally again after cold damage, and signs of the damage might still be apparent for that time. The damaged spears will not grow into normal leaves. They will produce deformed or partially brown leaves the following summer.
A tree is a long-term plant in a garden or landscape and as such it is not easy to simply abandon it to death or felling. Assessing whether a palm tree is going to recover from cold damage takes time, even months. For those who are not sure as to how to make this assessment, contact tree services in Ramrod Key FL for more information.
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