Final report on the winter that was.

[Gene Deci]

My most reliable report on the coldest temperature last winter came from a neighbor three houses down. He saw 16 below zero one night. There were probably nights it got colder. I winter my less hardy trees in an unheated shed that is partially below grade and well insulated with snow. I don’t know how cold it got in there.

In any case, I only had three casualties. I lost one of two coastal redwoods and he other had significant die back. I also lost a lot of ramification on a hackberry that suffered die-back of all the branch tips. I was worried it would be a lot worse.

The lesson is that you never know what is going to happen weather wise and native species are always going to be safest.

 

[JudyB]

True, but it was an extraordinary winter, at least by current standards. Your hackberry will be back to itself in no time, if it grows like mine anyway. I had tip dieback on mine as well this past winter...
Do you trim any new growth late in the season on yours? I've found much less dieback if I don't. Not that this was the problem of course this year, it was just cold.

minus 16 is cold by any book, and it was a deep sustained cold which I think is a large degree of difference.