Hello all, I have a severely damage Crimson Queen--it was 80% covered by the heavy snows we have had this year...as melting occurred 3 of the 4 major limbs have been pulled down 2 snapped, 1 hanging by a 2 inch thread of bark. 1 branch look good but there is now a huge surface area of bark stripped from the trunk. The tree is obviously dormant now, but I want to act quickly. Do I try and reattach the branch hanging by the bark or just cut it clean off? Should I somehow bandage the exposed areas? Just clear the damage and hope for the best? Any detailed advice would be appreciated--newbie here :-) . Thanks
Would that mean rodent damage?, this could be a serious condition that may negatively affect tree recovery. Losing limbs to snow could be assimilated to heavy pruning and the tree will eventually recover albeit with a disfigured shape. You should act to correct nature and make the cuts clean and flush according to customary pruning practices. As for the branch which is partly detached, I have no experience with snow (very little over here) but I have had similar occurrence when a branch from a tall oak fell on a smaller Japanese maple. I attached the hanging branch back firmly to its original position and, in my case, it worked. Gomero
No rodent damage...the stripped bark is from branches pulled down and free. Snow/ice piled up to and onto the lower branches and as the snow pack was melting the branches were pulled downward with bark attached below (think peeling a banana)and eventually pulled free of the tree. What should I use to splint the branch?--someone mentioned duct tape in another forum--is there a better choice? Does it matter that the tree is not actively growing at this time? I understand clean cuts , but do i leave the exposed areas exposed--they are sizeable. Again, thanks. UPDATE: Dug my way to the tree for a closer inspection--looks bad The tree has a mounding nature...so at the top there were 3 main limbs (no real central leader)... 2 of the 3 were pulled downward at the top and has split into the main (trunk) again think banana...I cut back the 2 limbs now the real question-- If I make truly clean cuts severing the 2 limbs to the lowest point of damage, there will be 1/2 of the trunk exposed as if the tree were split in 2. The tree was about 4-5 inches in diameter, the remaining limb would have the majority of the central core. If I push hard I can get the 2 stumps back into reasonable approximation, but I know there is high risk because of the open wounds at the top--no way to seal that well... thoughts please...
Sounds like heavy damage but maples are tough plants that clinch to the slightest sliver of lifeline. The main risk now is for pathogens to enter the tree through the wounds. At this point you should ponder if it is worthwhile for you to go through all the trouble to have, at best, a heavily disfigured tree that will take 4-5 years to retake a graceful shape again (although the bark damage will remain). If you decide to give it a try, then splint wherever possible (use duct tape if you want, but make sure that water flows freely through in order to avoid rotting. In my case I used rope), make clean cuts and do not use any paint or any other kind of sticky remedy on the wounds, let nature run its course. Good luck Gomero
