Link to Article Here
I do not give much thought to the trees and shrubs in my garden during most snowstorms, because the snow rarely builds up enough on the plants to cause any real damage. A light covering of snow will cause no harm and can provide some great photo opportunities.
It is possible for plants to be damaged by several inches of heavy, wet snow, which can quickly build up in a big storm. Its weight can split or break branches and can even cause some plants such as arborvitaes to fall over or be uprooted. Arborvitaes are the plants I most often see damaged by heavy snow.
However, even during last winter’s heavy snowfalls, none of the shrubs in my garden — including the evergreens — needed to have any snow removed from branches.
If large evergreen branches do get pulled to the ground by snow, you may gently sweep it off. Use a soft broom; a heavy tool such as a shovel or broom handle can damage the tree bark. You may then gently elevate the branch from below. If you know that certain branches are especially vulnerable to snow load, you may want to install bracing in late fall to help support them in case of snow.
During major snowstorms, it is best to remove heavy snow from vulnerable plants while it still is falling, rather than waiting until the snow has a chance to freeze. Once snow is frozen on the plant, trying to remove it can cause a lot of damage, so then it is best to let it melt off. This is also the case for freezing rain that covers plants in ice.
If plants already have been damaged by snow or ice, there is not much you can do other than to prune off any branches that are a safety hazard.
You will need to wait until the ground thaws to straighten any plants that have fallen over. It is likely that these plants will need to be staked for the first year to provide additional support.
Some shrubs may be completely covered by a deep snowfall, but there is no need to dig them out. Let nature take its course in these situations.
Tim Johnson is director of horticulture for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe; ctc-realestate@tribune.com.