Tag Archives: Winter injury

May 23, 2019

Winter Injury Spring 2019

Symptoms of winter injury have been showing up on conifers over the past month.
In upstate NY sub-zero F temperatures were recorded in late January and in early March we experienced a sudden drop of temperatures from above freezing to the single digits in one day.   These low temperatures and fluctuation events are likely the cause of the winter injury symptoms we are seeing now.
Individual plants in grand fir plantings were affected, sometimes with the entire individual trees dying back.

Conolor fir (foreground) and Grand fir (back left) displaying winter injury.

Concolor fir (foreground) and Grand fir (back left) displaying winter injury.

Junipers and spruce were also affected in some areas.

Juniper with a major portion of the shrub showing dieback.

Juniper with a major portion of the shrub showing dieback.

We also are observing some needle desiccation on younger trees.

Young fir trees with brown symptoms winter injury.

Young fir tree with winter needle desiccation.

April 13, 2015

Winter Injury 2015

Many growers were looking at winter injury at this time last year.  This winter the cold weather was even more severe across NY and the Northeast.  So unfortunately much of what we mentioned last year is true again.

Grand fir 2015

Grand fir trees with winter Injury. More severe damage above the snow line.

Grand fir needles

Needle browning due to low temps on Grand fir.

Varing degrees of Injury on concolor fir

Varying levels of winter injury on a field of concolor fir.

Nordmann fir with winter Injury.

Nordman Fir with winter injury

Although most of the affected trees will survive with the buds and new growth unaffected, this occurrence, two years in a row now, has some growers questioning whether they’ll put in more of these tender species.

May 7, 2014

Winter Injury

 

What a winter!  It was long and cold.  We experienced a couple of polar vortex events and subzero Fahrenheit temperatures were common.

WInter Injury visible on the Nordmann fir trees in the foreground.

Winter injury symptoms of needle browning visible in the foreground on Nordmann fir trees.

Evergreen trees and conifers were impacted by the extreme conditions. The symptoms of the winter injury has been showing up on evergreen needles for the last month or so.  The damage is appearing as needle browning– sometimes whole needles and sometimes just the tips.

Some of the species affected this spring :

Winter Injury symptoms is common Nordmann firs.

Winter Injury symptoms is common Nordmann firs.

Grand fir trees are showing winter injury symptoms in many parts of NY.

Grand fir trees are also showing winter injury symptoms in many parts of NY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas fir trees that have swiss needlecast infections were most prone to winter injury. Some un-treated landscape trees are mostly brown.

Douglas fir trees that have Swiss needlecast infections were most prone to winter injury.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Untreated Douglas fir trees in in the landscape. Suffering from a combination of Swiss needlecast and winter injury

Untreated Douglas fir trees in in the landscape. Suffering from a combination of Swiss needlecast and winter injury.

 

 

 

 

 

Concolor fir trees planted in sites with poor drainage were susceptible to winter injury.

Concolor fir trees planted in sites with poor drainage were susceptible to winter injury.

The good news is that in almost every case the buds are fine!  So the new growth will soon help cover up the brown, winter injured needles. Be sure the soil conditions are optimum to maximize growth.  Adjust pH and fertilize as needed.

And one more…

A different type of injury that occurred during this winter. Lower branch dieback from rodent feeding on the branch bark.

A different type of injury that occurred during this winter. Lower branch dieback from rabbits and/or meadow mice feeding on bark. (They apparently have their favorites.  In this mixed planting they only munched on the Korean fir trees.)