Protect Your Trees From Ice

		NEWSLETTER			SUBSCRIBE
		DISCUSSIONS			CUSTOMER SERVICE
		VIDEO CENTER			Marketplace
		IN THIS ISSUE			Promotions

HOME	\|	GROWING A - Z	\|	OG SOLUTIONS	\|	LANDSCAPING	\|	COMPOST & SOIL	\|	ORGANIC LIVING

Weeds Pests Diseases Techniques

FREE Trial Issue!
	test

IN SEASON
	Visit OrganicGardening.com to sign up for our free weekly newsletters: In Season offers timely articles and projects, and Garden to Table delivers ideas and recipes for seasonal produce. Sign up now.

Gardening Events
	A state-by-state listing of gardening events in your area!

:: Home > OG Solutions > Techniques

Marketplace
	This is the classified ads section of the site. Happy Shopping!

Protect Your Trees From Ice



Related Articles

>	Predicting Frost
>	When Frost Threatens Your Garden
>	Conifers For Every Region

Discussions
>	New Gardeners

The problem
A winter storm covers everything in a thick, clear layer of ice. Evergreens are bent double, and deciduous trees hang as though they're weeping.

What not to do
The natural inclination is to free a tree from its frozen prison with a broom or shovel, but that's dangerous—not only to the tree but also to you. You could be injured by falling ice or branches, the tree could snap in two, or you could inadvertently hit power lines tangled in its limbs.

Do this instead
If you must get out and do something, then remove the ice from your walkways and driveway. Break it up with a shovel or scatter a sodium-free deicing product containing calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) mixed with sand. Deicers don't completely melt ice; they liquefy enough of it to break the bond between the ice and the surface it clings to, making shoveling easier. CMA is made from dolomitic limestone and acetic acid (vinegar). It is less likely to damage plants or concrete than rock salt is.

Prevent it
There's not much you can do in advance besides covering more fragile plants with burlap. Bind the branches of smaller arborvitae or junipers together with cloth strips or nylon stockings.

Keep in mind
If you live in an area prone to ice storms, be aware that, due to their branch structure, elms, arborvitae, junipers, birches, and most fruit trees are vulnerable to ice damage. Look for weak-jointed branches on these trees and prune them out before they become a problem. Slow-growing trees such as oak and beech are less likely to lose branches. The younger the tree, the better it can survive an ice storm.

Save up to 27%: subscribe to Organic Gardening...

PLUS get a free gift and a FREE book! Click here now.

CATEGORIES:	Home Growing A - Z OG Solutions Landscaping Compost & Soil Organic Living
SERVICES:	Discussions Magazine Subscriptions Gift Subscriptions Newsletter
HELP:	Customer Service Contact Us
CORPORATE:	Rodale Inc Advertising Your Privacy Rights
OTHER RODALE SITES:	Bicycling.com Runner's World Running Times Women's Health Mountain Bike Prevention Men's Health Rodale