Frost and Acer palmatums

imholte · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:13 am Post subject: Frost and Acer palmatums

Last night the weatherman predicted a chilly 36F low overnight, so I go to sleep in peace. Well I wake up and it did get down to 36, it also got down to 26F. The damage is freeze damage to my green and red palmatums, my korean maple, my sango kaku, and acer rubrums.

What are the chances that it just fried the leaves and the tree is still good? Will they leaf out again?

Damn weatherman, I had been bringing my maples undercover when it froze at night, but he was way off. I guess I will send him a bill.

jimothy · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:01 am Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

I'm amazed that your A. palmatum have leaves on - they've only just really got going here in the last couple of weeks, and that's in Zone 9!

Did you do anything to bring them on early? Where are you keeping them?

andycarter · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:39 am Post subject: maples

had the same problem earlier this year. new buds damaged by dodgy advice from the weather lady. they are just starting to break out into leaves now. i'd think yours will do the same.

andy

keithmart · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:49 am Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

worry not the leaves will return. try covering them with horticultural fleece at night and keep them out of the wind

steve · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:02 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Mine have been in full leaf for a couple of weeks now. One of them have fully grown leaves.

Dick · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:35 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Covering with almost anything, even a bed sheet, will protect the trees from the damage of frost.

imholte · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:13 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

I think they leafed out because they wintered in western oregon where it is quite more mild, the maples I had over winter here in eastern oregon have just started.

I have no problem keeping them from frost, its just this one was unexpected.

Never thought about the sheet. Might make it a little easier than moving them 3 times a week.
Thanks

imholte · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Jim the days over here have been in the mid 70's for the last couple of days and 60's for that last couple of weeks, I think that tricked them a little bit, but mainly I think due to where they wintered.

Dick · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Today we'll be happy if it gets to 50-55F (10-12C). Actually has a bit of snow overnight mixed in with rain and the temps at 25F (-4C). Enough already!!!!

lance111 · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Hey guys! Spring is defiantly here in Wales!! fingers crossed, Very Happy

Dick · Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:55 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Tank the Gulf Strean Atlantic current for that. You're farthr north and warmer than I am. Spring is here too, but you get an occasional cold spell out of the Arctic and over the Canadian Rockies.

imholte · Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

For an update, that frost cost me many of the maples that I mentioned. The frost must have been just too much for the trees and the stress of the loss of their first leaves too much.

Watch out for late hard frosts with maples.

steve · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Forgot to look at the date on these. Was reading along until I saw my own post then realized that these were a couple of years old. Embarassed

imholte · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:24 pm Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

Digging up some old threads, thought this might be relevant to people in the next couple of weeks and months.

goldfingers · White Belt Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 29 Location: teeside

hi ed,
any chance of posting some pictures of the damage so we can recognize the damage i have lost 3 red pines last month but i cant tell if its frost damage the needles look as though they have had the water sucked out of them and have turned yellow/light brown
i know that to kill the tree with frost the roots have to explode its not the frost that kills them its the rapid thaw after wards but i don't have any pictures of exploded roots for reference to send you
any links for frost damage to maples/pines would be much appreciated by anyone
thanks.

imholte · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:14 am Post subject: Re: Frost and Acer palmatums

I dont have any pictures, but on maples, hard frosts will cause the leaves to freeze and when the thaw they wilt and die. If the tree is strong enough then the tree will put out new shoots, but mine did not.

Note that my maples made it through freezing temperatures through that winter down to 26F, but only suffered when the trees leafed out in the spring and were exposed to late frosts.

Your red pines that you mention should be pretty hardy to winter temperatures. What usually gets trees in the winter is that they dry out. With frozen soil, water is not available to the tree and if the tree is exposed to wind the tree will dry out even faster.

Not sure why thawing would cause damage, but check out this article on freeze damage for woody plants on the Evergreen Gardenworks website.

goldfingers · White Belt Joined: 20 Nov 2004 Posts: 29 Location: teeside

thanks ed,
that link was great i now know why the pines died i had let them go into dormancy at the start of the winter and they were still alive after the initial frosts but i did not keep the greenhouse above