The Care After the Storm

The weekend's big snowfall may have melted quickly in this roller-coaster winter, but painful signs of its arrival remain.

The heavy, wet snow damaged brittle wooded trees and shrubs whose shattered branches should be cleaned up for the long-term health and appearance of the plants. A clean cut will remove unsightly shards and promote rapid healing.

A broken stem should be cut back to the nearest main branch or trunk -- not cut to a stub. In removing the branch, leave the slight swelling at its base. This is the branch collar, where the wound will heal and close with time.

Trees that have lost their central leader should be cut to just above the nearest lateral branch. You can then tie a splint to the cut trunk and try bending the lateral branch skyward, tying it to the splint with biodegradable twine (not nylon or wire, which will cut into the branch tissue). This branch will become the new leader. Once it matures and grows vertically on its own, the splint can be removed, usually after one or two growing seasons. With shrubs, the gaps formed by the removal of broken branches should fill in after two or three growing seasons.

Pruners are good for branches up to half an inch thick. Use a sharp pruning saw for bigger branches. Cuts that require climbing into trees are best done by a certified arborist. "Even being up on ladders and dealing with big wood is fraught with more peril than people realize," said Richard Eaton, an arborist with the Care of Trees.

Some broken branches bearing flower buds -- camellias, quince or early season prunus, for example -- may be worth bringing indoors for forcing into bloom.

Adrian Higgins