It is hard to imagine the scenery of Florida without the rows of exotic palms. It is also interesting to discover that there are many, many species of these trees. But they do not have good tolerance to the low temperatures of winter, and when they become cold-damaged they require special treatment. Damaged palms can be assessed and treated by Florida Keys tree services, so that they are able to recover.
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.
After cold damage, for example by frost, the first step to take is to check the buds. This can be done by visual examination and also by carefully tugging on one with your fingers. The spear might come out entirely. If it is green, trees have a chance of survival and should be treated to assist or ensure 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.
As curious as it may sound, a tree is also susceptible to infection by bacteria. This is a significant threat to the tree after it has suffered cold damage. More often, though, trees are attacked by fungi. In order to protect against these infections, disinfectant sprays are available on the market. These are cooper-based sprays that should be sprayed onto the spears.
Also available on the market are cold protection compounds. These are supposed to give the tree or plant more resistance to lower temperatures. Fertilizer is another issue that requires proper advice to understand. It needs to be provided at the right time. It should not be provided in winter, but only at the start of the tree's growth time, which is summer.
Cold damage does not always show its full consequences until a long time later. Trees might live on, but the damaged spears will develop into brown or misshapen leaves during the summer. It might take longer than one growth season to lose entirely the effects of the damage. Ultimately, trees might only return to their normal growth and appearance after a year.
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.
After cold damage, for example by frost, the first step to take is to check the buds. This can be done by visual examination and also by carefully tugging on one with your fingers. The spear might come out entirely. If it is green, trees have a chance of survival and should be treated to assist or ensure 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.
As curious as it may sound, a tree is also susceptible to infection by bacteria. This is a significant threat to the tree after it has suffered cold damage. More often, though, trees are attacked by fungi. In order to protect against these infections, disinfectant sprays are available on the market. These are cooper-based sprays that should be sprayed onto the spears.
Also available on the market are cold protection compounds. These are supposed to give the tree or plant more resistance to lower temperatures. Fertilizer is another issue that requires proper advice to understand. It needs to be provided at the right time. It should not be provided in winter, but only at the start of the tree's growth time, which is summer.
Cold damage does not always show its full consequences until a long time later. Trees might live on, but the damaged spears will develop into brown or misshapen leaves during the summer. It might take longer than one growth season to lose entirely the effects of the damage. Ultimately, trees might only return to their normal growth and appearance after a year.
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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