Like most Nashvillians, we are ready for the end of winter. Espcially areas of Middle Tennessee such as Joelton and Springfield that are typically colder than the Metro area. It couldn’t come soon enough! Just a few more weeks, and hopefully things will begin to warm up and the trees and plants will slowly come out of hibernation. But unlike people who can move inside to keep from freezing temperatures, your trees and landscape has to withstand the harsh elements. Though Mother Nature is built to adapt to weather change, sometimes damage is unavoidable.
Nashville and Middle Tennessee has endured extreme, frigid temperatures. Your trees and landscape are more susceptible to cold injury when it drops to single digits temperatures for several days at a time. Common plants that might be affected this year:
- Red Tip
- Inkberry
- Hollies
Symptoms of cold injury are likely to show during really hot summers, because the plant needs more water during the extreme heat to keep cool.The water cannot get through the entire plant if the roots and other areas if the plants and trees are damaged.
Symptoms of cold injury include:
- Discolored roots
- Split bark twigs, branches or trunks of trees
- Sun scalding
- Burned leaves or needs
- Shrunken fruit
Cold injury can be treated as early as March with injections and the help of the Parke Company. Similar to cold injury repair, winter pruning for landscapes such as ornamental grass, perennials and shrubs should be done in the early months of spring. Normal winter pruning is related to the cold injury, and this regular tree service can be scheduled and completed at the same time.