Isaiah Salt Damage

At Fox Tree Services we are getting calls and seeing an unusual salt-related storm injury to trees and ornamentals at properties along or near the shoreline throughout southern Long Island. Salt water spray was picked up and deposited by the high winds onto foliage especially on the south facing sides of trees. This salt burn is causing the foliage to turn brown and fall off. In many cases, all of the foliage of deciduous trees are turning brown because of the swirling nature of the wind gusts once they reached properties. In other cases you can actually see the line of burned foliage in the top of trees whose lower halves were protected by houses and other structures.

Foliage Burned by Isaiah

There is no quick remedy for salt damage other than rainfall and even then the trees are bound to lose a lot of their leaves and needles. We need to pray for several good rainstorms to wash the salt  off the foliage and to also help remove it from the soil under these trees. Fertilization later may help, but it needs to be done carefully and judiciously without just throwing high nitrogen, non-organic material under these stressed trees.

Foliage Burned by Isaiah

Although this situation can be scary for those of us who love trees,  in most cases woody plants will be able to recover. Have your arborist check your trees to make sure that the salt burn hasn’t affected next years buds before you decide to remove any tree. Feel free to call us for an inspection and diagnosis.

Traditionally, early spring or the beginning of the new growth year, was the recommended time for the application of a fertilizer. Trees, shrubs, and ornamentals in need of a boost can use those extra nutrients to push out new growth and sustain themselves during periods of heat and drought. Using different nutrients throughout the season, plants can continue to grow into the summer and early fall, going dormant before the first frost. However, new research supports the idea that fertilizing in the late fall is key to vigorous and healthy growth the following year.  The fear of fertilizing in the fall is logical; should the weather unexpectedly warm again, these plants would push out late growth, only to be damaged by a second frost. Timing your application is critical to providing your trees and ornamentals with exactly what they need to survive the winter, and get started growing next year. Call you arborist to evaluate your property. They will know exactly when to treat your property with a balanced, blended fertilizer.

Before the frost, your plants will become dormant. Their metabolic processes have slowed or stopped and the conservation of nutrients is essential. Like a bear, gorging on salmon before hibernation, late fall fertilization provides your plants and trees with the stores they need for winter, and the energy they need to get going in spring. However, you must be careful not to fertilize too early in the fall. An early feeding, coupled with unexpected periods of warmth in the fall, could cause your confused plants to grow delicate, new foliage. This new growth is highly susceptible to damage caused by dropping temperatures once the frost returns. Fertilizing late in the fall, just as your plants begin to go dormant, gives them the best possible opportunity to survive a harsh winter, and burst to life the following spring.

With advances in science and technology, we better understand the relationships our plants and trees have with the soil they grow in. An excellent example of this symbiosis is mycorrhizal fungi. This fungi will live off the plant, while making the plant stronger. Win-win! By adding mycorrhizal fungi to a balanced fertilizer, you are promoting strong and vigorous root growth, as well as increased nutrient absorption. The overall plant health and resistance to stress is significantly increased, better allowing your plants to survive and thrive. We here at Fox have exactly what you need, when you need it, to prepare your property for the coming winter. Call your arborist to schedule a fall feeding today! Always remember,

Think Trees?

Think Fox!