Cold Damage?

[Maya]

We mostly use gly and 24d, but there are more expensive herbicides that work longer. I forget the names. Don't worry about spraying around trees, if you don't hit leaves your fine. The big orchards go right down the rows with a boom with a hood over it so it sprays directly on the ground and no drift to hit leaves. I just have a 4 gallon backpack sprayer. Takes me a while but it works.
Keep the thread going and post some pics. I'd be interested to hear what happened to the Galarina. I hope it's just a little die back. Cut one of the branches back and take a look. Try and cut just beyond a small side branch.

These are a few in my back yard, spraying sure makes it easy to mow around! At the same talk I went to they said to let weed grow up some and spray, it also adds some organic material. Makes sense I guess.

 

[sandbur]

maya-your one rpely was about cold spring temps and frost damage. There you preferred firm black soil.

Is the situation different or the choices different when we are talking about winter cold and killing the tree? Would mulch be better then?

sln recommends against rock mulch in their mailings with their trees. They say it conducts too much cold to the roots.

I use cedar chips.

 

[Maya]

Yes Art, you are right. I got two different problems jumbled in one post. Sorry. Sometimes I throw out a quick reply without re-reading.

As for aiding against cold. I agree w/ sln, rock holds heat and cold longer, so though it is a great way to keep weeds at bay, that would be the down side. That's why I said, "I'm not so sure rock would be much of an insulator." Bark mulch will not hold heat and cold near as long. With a more porous nature it will dissipate temps quicker. It will however hold moisture longer, and add organic material to the soil...plus. It will lower ph, deplete calcium and be a host for vols....negative. If you use good vol guards, keep weeds/grass down in the immediate area, proper planting site and maybe use some vol killer, they shouldn't be a problem though. I'll be talking to some of the experts from UVM, UMASS and Cornell over the summer. I'll try to ask them pointed questions about the best way to combat cold. I do know they recommend bark mulch for it, and bare/sprayed ground for spring temps. So, food for thought there!

 

[sandbur]

How do voles kill the tree? Are those the critters that leave tunnels under the grass in our yards?

My biggest rodent problem is pocket gophers. I do keep wire or screen around the trunks for mice protection., but those d.... gophers.

 

[Maya]

Vole = Meadow mice, they eat the bark in the winter on younger trees, girdle and potentially kill trees.

 

[sandbur]

Vole = Meadow mice, they eat the bark in the winter on younger trees, girdle and potentially kill trees.

Gracias, senor!

 

[Maya]

LOL, I knew you were Hispanic! We don't have those gophers, what do they do? Besides ruin golf courses and tick off Bill Murray?o_O

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Vole = Meadow mice, they eat the bark in the winter on younger trees, girdle and potentially kill trees.

And sometime the sob's even eat the roots and if they go all the way around the tree is doomed unless you can bridge graft which looks very difficult

 

[sandbur]

And sometime the sob's even eat the roots and if they go all the way around the tree is doomed unless you can bridge graft which looks very difficult

We will send you some pocket gophers. They eat the roots off and the tree tips over. They weigh just a bit under three hundred pounds!:eek:

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Damn that looks like one of our woodchucks here that keeps eat in my garden. His a$$ is grass if I see him in the early morning when everyone is still sleeping. 22 long rifle between those teeth

 

[sandbur]

LOL, I knew you were Hispanic! We don't have those gophers, what do they do? Besides ruin golf courses and tick off Bill Murray?


Occasionally the Gophers beat the Badgers at hockey!

Just a minute, wrong type of gophers. Pocket gophers just piss off the German, English, French, Bohunk, and Native American blood of a a guy in central Mn. that knows a few Spanish words. My poor girls also got Polish blood I them!

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Well at least your girls have so,etching good in them. Je Dobre

 

[BluffCountry]

I was able to get up and check my trees the other day, but forgot my phone to take a pic. The Galarina is coming into silver tip except for the new growth on one branch. So it looks pretty good. I did head back some of the upper scaffold branches when I pruned because they were longer than some of the branches on the lower scaffolds so it's possible I could have pruned back some die back and not known the difference at the time.