Ice damage on birch and other trees

With our recent ice storm I have been recieving calls from concerned tree owners. This storm has been the worst that I and some older folks can ever remember for our area. We get ice but it doesn't stay long maybe a day or two. Most trees show no effect from past strorms but this one is different from others in the past.

The majority of calls are coming from owners of birch trees. Specifically multi stemmed River Birches that seem to be not only overplanted but are main focal points in front yard landscapes of some very nice newly built homes.

The River Birches seem to be suffering the most than other tree species due to their fine foliage, dense tops and slender stems. The tops are so coated with ice many of them are bent all the way into the ground and are froze into the snow. Most of these trees are in the 25 to 35 foot range.

The question I have as this storm has come and lasted for as long as it has. Are these trees going to come back and spring back so to speak after the ice leaves???

Like I have said this storm was a bad one and I just don't have any experience due to the severity of the storm to back up my answers. I have been telling people that their trees are going to be ok but there is a good chance the damage will be noticiable as they will probaly be leaning more than they were before the storm.

I don't think pruning can straighten them out so I am assuming that a light cabling or wiring will be in order for some of these trees.

Another tree species that has been getting hit hard is those darn multi -crotched pear tree. Just like in summer when we get hit a little wind. Hardly any saving for these. Prune them off two inches from the ground.

We won't talk about Siberian Elms. Woody weeds on roots.

Some of the larger evergreen trees have taken some major blows but as group they have been holding up good. Shows that they have evolved their branch and stem structure to withstand heavy snow and ice loads.

Other concerns have been low hanging limbs but these should have no ill effects or some pruning will be in order.

It has been an interesting last few days with the ice and cold temps. Not to mention the phone calls which I am grateful for as this looked like a lean winter.

At least I know we will be busy as the weather gets better.

Not having a frikkin' clue about dealing with ice damage, my first gut recommendation would be to 'wait and see' exactly how much damage there is in a few weeks. Then prune out the broken or badly damaged stuff.

The Birch trees will stand right back up in time. Ive seen it where the tops were frozen to the ground then after the ice melts and a little time they straighten right out.

We are going to be having alot of that broken limbs and hangers in the trees type work coming in for the next weeks and in the coming months.

The trouble with that kind of work is it only an hour or two of work. If it is just a single tree. People get so paranoid that those limbs are going to fall at anytime and want it down asp. They don't believe me if I tell them those limbs are pretty well stuck in the tree. More unsightly than any real danger.

I'll take it anyway and just charge a little more if they want it done asp.

You are charging emergency storm rates for the ASAP work I hope.

With those types of jobs, you can knock out 4-5 or more in a day and make out well.

Thanks Top,

I just needed someone else to say what I was suspecting. Your farther north than we are so you have seen more of this type of weather

To a degree I do. Top. As much as I would like to double my rates. I can't do it in good conscience as this is still a relatively small town and word gets around quick that your some kind of crook trying to profiteer off of someones tree problem. It can come back to haunt you trying to make a short term gain that could turn into a long term loss in the future.

One of my competitors tries to rip people after a storm and most won't have anything to do with him. People around here won't pay x when it is only worth y

If our population base was bigger and not so much on a personal basis. I would charge up the wazooo.

our jackmontii got stressed in a heavy snow a couple years ago and alot never fully recovered. seems the river birch for the most part came back but the jackmontii either needed weight reduction, which often times was hard to accomplish and still have nice looking trees or r&r

Don't have a lot of river birch as ornamentals around here, but I have almost never seen a white birch recover fully from being bent over from ice. Most of them seem to retain a significant bend/lean.

There was an article awhile back in tcia mag about cases where the trees with multiple leaders got bent by ice. The tree companys put a pole up to guy the tree to and let it regain its natural shape. Might be worth a shot.
I would think that they would straighten out after one growing season.

So Larry, it sounds like you have a pretty good handle on this. But two things to consider when determining recouperativeability (I love making up words) are actual fiber damage/separation and frequency of the event. River birches as has been said tend to recoup fine as long as fracturing has not occurred. But almost all trees can respond adversely if the ice storm/event is of unusual intensity.

We had a wet snow come through a year ago that was non typical for the area and time of year. And even though trees here are well equipped to handle winter weather, this storm caused an amazing amount of damage.

Dave

I did some tip pruning on a River Birch last winter for weight reduction after an ice storm. As with many suburban neighborhoods, the landscapes tend to be very similar. I've had the chance to see if the tree I worked on fared better than those (River Birch) left alone, and I believe it did.
While most recovered, it was apparent that they wouldn't be able to handle another episode. Ice is an on-going thing here.
"Overburied" ... I hear you loud-n-clear, Larry !!!

I have always figured once you make a cut on a riverbirch you sentence it to death.

Most of the ice damaged ones up here don't last another 2 or 3 seasons.