A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Shrubs and Trees help with little tree

They people who farm the land behind me spraied hubby's little tree while we were gone to Texas this summer, I thought it was completely dead but it's starting to come back out from the bottom, Now... Questions...

Should I trim it back?

If so how much? and when?


coming back out on the botton

I don't know if you should be trimming it back. I know that some evergreens/conifers don't send out new shoots from old wood, which explains why some older evergreen hedges are bare on the inside. It did survive the spray though, which I think is quite surprising considering that some sprays that farmers use are quite potent. I wouldn't trim it back and I'd wait for spring to see if anything else happens. I don't know what zone you're in, but I know up here (z5b) if you prune or deadhead too close to hard frost, the plant will try to send up new growth that won't be hardy enough to survive the winter, which could be the final blow (it . could die back more than you'd want during the winter). Don't ask how I figured it out...I USED to have a nice small cedar...

Hahaha, and what happened to that cedar, Kenny? (Don't answer that! :)
I'm glad Kenny answered, he stated much of what I was going to say. Basically, his answer is entirely correct but I believe I can add to it.
Kenny mentioned his Cedar, as an example of evergreen conifers in general, your tree is of course an Arbor Vitae. I've noted that Arbor Vitaes have slightly more ability to regrow new foliage below a cut, on bare wood, than most conifers. That said, the new growth you're seeing indicates where you could potentially cut to safely IF it were the proper time of year. Kenny is spot on about cutting to new growth or stimulating tender growth at this time of year. It would be risky even in my more moderate zone 7. I do feel convinced, though, from my experience, that most shrubs and trees will continue to expend energy on dead/dying tissue to the detriment of the plant. I would personally do some judicious pruning now. Lighlty grip some branches and see if, by pulling outward, a significant number of needles come off. It looks like they're fairly strongly attached, though. You could cut off any foliage that freely releases needles. Otherwise, snip off 4 or 5 inches of a branch or 2, see if there is any sign of life, especially any green in the cambium. By all means, cut above any sign of new buds or needles, and not below, for now. Don't overdo, but don't be fearful of some thinning/grooming. Be sure to water the plant well, if you're not getting regular rain, water once a week, at least one inch of water, to flush away any herbicide residue that may remain. Don't allow the soil to get completely dry this winter, a hard freeze could damage the roots id the soil gets too dry, and the root system is by far the most important factor in this tree's recovery. After a good flush, or now, if you've been getting rain, add a low nitrogen, organic liquid fertilizer, fish emulsion or preferably kelp or seaweed extract...the organic fert. will help build the populations of beneficial organisms in the soil, but keep it dilluted to half the recommended ratio, you don't want to promote growth above ground, but the roots will continue to grow as long as ground temps allow.
Watch for new growth in the spring, March or April in your area, and when you see hopeful signs of new green for 2 or 3 weeks, go ahead and cut away more of the dead...you can't hurt it then. If all goes well, you'll see a strong spurt of new growth at that time, Arbor Vitaes put on the majority of new growth in one big spring burst and then slow again during hot weather.
Sorry to get so wordy, but shrubs and trees were my specialization, once I start talking, I can't shut up.

thanks, I have trimmed on it a little to see how dead it was. The area I trimmed in was ready dead.

I'm in zone 7, So trim some now and wait for spring?

Rain?? well we have gotten some rain in the last couple days, but not enough. I try and water once a week if I don't get rain.


I also have other trees that will need a good trim, I know most I plan to trim in the fall, but the evergreen I wasn't sure about.

I try and wash them off when they spray the field, but like I said I was gone this time and when we noticed it, it was almost completely dead. I washed it off and like I said the bottom looks like it's coming back out.

I hate to loose any of my little trees. I've put alot of work into them

I've lost 3 trees this year I hope the rest make it through cotton defoilation

Yeah, trim a little more...I realize I wasn't quite clear, when trim off some dead from a branch, and see some live tissue, trim a little less off the next, you don't want to cut right back to live tissue too much for the reasons kenny mentioned. I'm just convinced from my experience that too much dead wood isn't good, but the real trimming will be done in the spring.

okay, I'll make some notes and take some pictures

thanks

We had Arizona Cypress trees across the front of our house. One got bag worms and before I realized it looked totally dead. We removed the bag worms and that little tree came back to life. I didn't trim anything. I'd say leave it alone.