This last frost we had the past week really did a number on a lot of plants in my yard...including full grown oaks. After living here for nearly 40 years and family living here for some 180 or so.....this is the first time I or anyone I know of has seen Live Oaks become bare on the bottom third of the tree due to late frosts/freezes. Our large oak trees had leafed out to point of having hand sized leaves from top to bottom. The hard frost fried the bottom third on every single tree. I assume the tree will be fine....just never seen this before. Will they be ok? What should I expect or do, if anything?
Thanks in advance...!
I got a question.......
Hi OldSCPmedic,
I am curious to know the answer to this as well. I would assume that since the trees are fully grown they should be okay but I have several plants and trees in my yard that look just pitiful after this last frost too. My crepe myrtles look awful. All the new growth is fried and dead. Time will tell I guess. You might want to pose this question on the tree and shrub forum for some extra input, I have found great information in that forum in the past. I am curious to know how everyone else fared?
Anyone else suffering any casualties?
All of my trees did the same thing, but I was looking today and they all have buds coming back and even some new leaves on the hickory trees. There certainly aren't as many buds as there were, but atleast there are some. I don't know if they will have as much growth, acorns, etc. this year as usual, but so far all of them do seem to be coming back, very slowly!!
I had recently planted some kiwi vines that I couldn't cover and they were also completely black. All new growth was. Well, I have been giving them lots of extra water and impatiently waiting, well today i saw a tiny new bud on them. I am so excited!! I didn't loose them after all!!!
The Live Oaks in our area are well over 100 years old. Before the freeze (4/8) we had noticed the tremendous number of leaves that had fallen and for such a long period of time. Many of the trees in this area are badly burned but the "Old Oaks" look OK. Clemson Extension Service has advised that you not cut trees and shubs back due to the shock it would present to them. They suggested waiting until you see new growth and then trim off areas that appear to be dead. Sure is hard to look at them and not get my clippers out!!
We also had 60 mph winds this past weekend and I see more damage from this than the freeze.
Hope this is a little help.
Don't worry about the live oaks they'll be fine. New leaves will be coming soon.
Thanks all....
I too contacted Clemson and SC Forestry folks....they pretty much said the same thing about waiting to prune. I agree about the number of leaves this past season....my mulch pile (s) are at least double their "normal" sizes.
We lost alot of early blooms on many spring flowering, but usually very hardy plants. Even the foxgloves got a severe frost burn....and that too was a first see for me.
Again...thx all!