Let's Talk Wind Damage

            Let’s talk about wind damage. If you didn’t sustain wind damage to your landscape, you are extremely lucky. It was fortunate these high winds occurred early in the season and many trees were not yet full of leaves. If it had been a few weeks later, the damage would have been worse.

Ornamental Plum, wind damage to the leaves

            New leaves just coming out were shredded by these winds or new young shoots were broken. You might not see the damage at first but after a few days the damage will turn brown. Seeing this, you might think insects or diseases. Don’t worry. Some light pruning will remove the damage and new growth will cover it in less than a week.

Wind damage to persimmon on the lower leaves while the new leaves (closest) that emerged after the wind are undamaged

            Branches and trunks of trees split or broke. If you think you can bandage the damage, think again. If the wood inside of the split has dried, even for a couple of hours, joining the two together will not heal the split. It’s a goner.

Peach wind damage to the leaves.

            You might be able to salvage the tree by cutting below the break on the trunk. See if it will begin suckering beneath this cut. Make the cut about 1 foot above where you want new branches to emerge.

Corn wind damage blown over

            If a branch split, cut it back to a side branch. Whether it will grow back or how it will grow back depends on the kind of break, where it occurred and the type of tree. If it is aesthetically important to the landscape, remove it and replant. It could take years before it will look good again unless it is a fast grower.

            Leave shredding and breakage also happens to vegetables. Most can be pruned, a very light application of fertilizer and watered to help them regrow.