Should I leave this alone or thaw it?

[A. Gorilla]

It's a skating rink due our thaw and freeze cycle. Just this one though to this obvious degreee. Not sure what's going on here.

My gut says to leave it (as opposed to let it thaw enough to drain) but I'm not 100% on that. Opinion? Prior experience?

 

[Oleg]

What kind is it?

 

[A. Gorilla]

Feral pyrus.

 

[Oleg]

I lost a Chinese Elm a few years ago, started a thread hear and seemed agreed that a dripping gutter and a freeze was the reason but that's a Chinese Elm. I'm looking out the window now at a skating rink six inches deep with trees growin out of it, happens every year and not a problem. I googled your tree seems there is an north American and a Chinese variety, is your's native?

 

[A. Gorilla]

I believe it's the kind which hybridize from landscape bradford pears and wind up growing in every ditch.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Leave the ice... but bury the pot. The ice on the surface won't kill your tree... it is the cold from underneath the pot that will.

 

[Oleg]

I agree, while half the yard is 6" of ice the other is 1" sitting on top with tufts of grass sticking through, the snow got soaked as it froze. The 6" at the other end didn't soak in either.