Wednesday, January 27, 2016

By John Voket With warmer weather systems affecting normally much colder parts of the country this winter, some areas have experienced trees and shrubbery starting to bud, just weeks after those shrubs and trees lost their fall foliage.
So we went looking for advice on the subject and found some great information with The Davey Tree Experts of Kent, Ohio. In much of the eastern half of the U.S., Davey says typical frigid temperatures and snow were swapped out for unseasonably sunny skies and in some areas record-breaking high temperatures.

As a result, spring blooming plants may have opened into partial or full flowers due to unusually warm weather in November and December. Additionally, some woody plants may have grown fresh leaves.

Davey says if plants have experienced untimely growth through the warm winter, there are a few things property owners should keep in mind:

• Plants may not experience spring growth this year  
• The unseasonable weather has tricked some plants into blooming prematurely. If plants budded during late fall and early winter, this means no blooming in the coming spring season.
• Some plants may have only partially bloomed in the above average temperatures; however, this growth will still reduce the quantity and quality of the plant’s spring bloom.

Weather shifts also produce long-term effects. Shifting from a period of warm temperatures to the teens and single digits could injure susceptible plants.

Plants that have partially leafed out or budded can be stricken with dead or dying tips due to the drastic change.

And not all plants are affected equally, according to the folks at Davey. Many factors influence plant injury in unusual weather conditions.

Plants can experience different outcomes based on plant species, cultivar, health, location and exposure.

Though nothing can be done to prevent or reverse premature blooming, the onset of the spring season will reveal how specific plants have been affected. The folks at Davey say scheduling a spring checkup with a local arborist will help homeowners determine the best course of action for potentially damaged plants.  

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