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.
The palm tree's life cycle is such that it produces its new leaves in the summer. This is an important fact in understanding how it grows and puts out new leaves. The buds or "spears" are the primordial new leaves that emerge and grow. These are the most important indicator of the extent of the damage and whether trees can be salvaged.
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.
A serious risk to the tree after cold damage is infection. It might sound strange but a tree or plant can also be infected by bacteria, or, in the case of trees, infection by fungi is more common. In order to prevent this, a copper compound should be used in solution. Commercial copper fungicides are available. They should be applied to the buds, to stop rotting or infection.
Fertilizer is another way of assisting trees, in order to supply them with additional nutrients in their soil. However, a palm tree should only be given fertilizer in its growth period, i. E. At the start of the summer, and not during the winter. If cold is a continuous problem, there are products that are designed to protect the plant against low temperatures. They are also available in spray form.
Consequences of the cold damage can take a long time to manifest themselves. Even if the tree survives, and even if it maintains all its original buds, the new leaves that grow during the next summer can be deformed or brown. Gardeners should realize that the tree won't recover entirely from the damage during the next growth season. It might take up to a year for that to happen.
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.
The palm tree's life cycle is such that it produces its new leaves in the summer. This is an important fact in understanding how it grows and puts out new leaves. The buds or "spears" are the primordial new leaves that emerge and grow. These are the most important indicator of the extent of the damage and whether trees can be salvaged.
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.
A serious risk to the tree after cold damage is infection. It might sound strange but a tree or plant can also be infected by bacteria, or, in the case of trees, infection by fungi is more common. In order to prevent this, a copper compound should be used in solution. Commercial copper fungicides are available. They should be applied to the buds, to stop rotting or infection.
Fertilizer is another way of assisting trees, in order to supply them with additional nutrients in their soil. However, a palm tree should only be given fertilizer in its growth period, i. E. At the start of the summer, and not during the winter. If cold is a continuous problem, there are products that are designed to protect the plant against low temperatures. They are also available in spray form.
Consequences of the cold damage can take a long time to manifest themselves. Even if the tree survives, and even if it maintains all its original buds, the new leaves that grow during the next summer can be deformed or brown. Gardeners should realize that the tree won't recover entirely from the damage during the next growth season. It might take up to a year for that to happen.
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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When you are looking for information about Florida Keys tree services, you can go to the web pages here today. Details are available at http://ecogreengardencenter.com now.
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