Winter Burn Woes.

[cheap_walmart_art]

So I had a nice little spot where I overwintered my trees in my first year, and everything pulled through just fine. I wintered my trees in the same spot this year, but my electric company took out the large tree that was giving them a little wind break and afternoon shade. Due to some health issues and an out of town vacation I've only just been able to really check them out this weekend, and the news doesn't look good. The worst off is my Hinoki Cypress. This tree did great all summer and I did some (poor) wiring back in fall. While the while tree is now brown, the foliage and small branches are still quite pliable. See pics.



Also, I'm seeing some damage on my smaller junipers and boxwoods in the same area.



I fear these trees are seeing way too much sun with the shade tree gone now. We have also been cycling from 50+F in the day tine down to around 30F at night. There's also been constant rain.

At this point, would it be wise to try to move my trees into a more sheltered location? Or is it too late to do much and just let them ride and see what happens?

 

[cbroad]

That sucks man, but I don't think all is lost. I don't know if you should try to move them or not.

One thought maybe though is to get those rolls of ugly plastic erosion control fences and build up a wind break around them, maybe then fill in around and on top of the plants with pine tags or straw. Probably couldn't hurt...

From the pictures, the hinoki kinda looks like their normal winter color, brownish purple. As long as their not dessicated and still turgid, they're probably fine. But expect some shedding of the interior foliage until after the tree wakes back up. Your boxwoods got burned but should be fine also.

Good luck!

 

[just.wing.it]

I also think the hinoki may be just showing winter color.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I also think the hinoki may be just showing winter color.

My conifers in the lanscape have that winter color. I think also is winter color.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Thanks for chiming in - I just don't remember them getting so dark last year. I'll leave the conifers be and nice the boxwoods to a more sheltered area.

 

[TN_Jim]

Thanks for chiming in - I just don't remember them getting so dark last year. I'll leave the conifers be and nice the boxwoods to a more sheltered area.

Haven’t watered mine since turkey day. So much rain. It felt like spring today. A snow in coming in perhaps?

What is the juniper? My boxwoods aren't vibrant, couple erc are red/brown -seem okay.... other juniper look green....all mulched under west eave.

I’ve been worried about too much prolonged water in soil.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Haven’t watered mine since turkey day. So much rain. It felt like spring today. A snow in coming in perhaps?

What is the juniper? My boxwoods aren't vibrant, couple erc are red/brown -seem okay.... other juniper look green....all mulched under west eave.

I’ve been worried about too much prolonged water in soil.

Yeah I've not watered since Thanksgiving either. Most of my junipers are shimpaku. This weather has been pretty unpredictable - I'm a bit worried we will see early bud break followed by some killing Frosts. Not looking forward to a two month long bonsai shuffle lol.

 

[TN_Jim]

Somewhere in that previous riddle I wrote, is that mine are kinda in shade until late day, and out of direct rain kinda similar to yours. Last year does seem more frozen earth even with the warms..

Yes the extremes (or timing lack of too is indeed my thoughts ((or fears)) as well.

I was unusually on a flat roof all day patching and it started getting hot -car too said it was 70 but it lies, but it was certainly feeling like a real spring day — freezing soon

I don’t have any Shimpaku, and don’t exactly know what makes them happy dormancy-wise; however, the next time you start choppin’...

You are gonna get a relative or significant snow or ice up on the plateau for sure. Do you keep em covered up at all or just adjacent sheltered? Wondering if the deciduous could use a blanket soon?

 

[Japonicus]

A wind break for the Hinoki is best.
They need a little more stable moisture than any of my conifers

@Vance Wood is fantastic with Hinoki

Can you provide him with more detail about the said "nice little spot"?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I would leave them as is. That is a bit of sunburn from loosing the shade tree, not from being too cold, in winter. The twigs and branches are still alive, flexible. They will leaf out in spring, just fine.