Squirrel damage

[Pmr]

Happy Spring!

Over the winter while my little trees were resting in the ground, it seems that a squirrel or something chewed off most of their branches. The new growth is just starting to form and buds are pushing ever so slightly. Should I prune now or wait for the new growth to harden off first? I had planned a trunk chop on one of the trees that was damaged already so this seems like a good time, no?

 

[Gabler]

How far along is the new growth? Pictures?

 

[The Barber]

Assuming they haven't pushed any branches yet and you are talking about buds beginning to swell?

 

[rockm]

You’d better check to see how extensive the damage is. If the chewing went all the way around a trunk down into green cambium. the tree above the chewing is doomed

 

[Dav4]

Rabbits did this to this crabapple and some other smaller crabs and quinces- on my raised patio- when the snow was deep back in early February. For me, there’s nothing to do with this tree other than see what part of the trunk was fully girdled and what might still be viable. I’ll know in a few months. Depending on the species of tree you have, the extent of your damage, and what you wanted from the chop will determine whether you chop now or wait. Fwiw, there’s nothing wrong with waiting… it’s on of my favorite techniques

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Finally resorted to 2x2 corrals with black mesh screening stapled to the corral, surrounding all the wintering over areas.


A couple years back when some of the azaleas and crabs were little, experimented by actually kept a couple of these trees outside where the rabbits could gnaw on them to see what the result was. Surprisingly interesting in most cases… but every once in awhile the resulting tree was a total restart. Wish the rabbit gnawed a bit more on this one!




Cheers,
DSD sends

 

[Pmr]

You’d better check to see how extensive the damage is. If the chewing went all the way around a trunk down into green cambium. the tree above the chewing is doomed

No girdling, just took the branches back to the trunk. At first I thought someone clipped them but no, it’s chewed.

 

[Pmr]

The growth pattern and branching has never been something I liked, chopping was always the plan. Now it looks odd with a trunk with several 1/4” branches along its length. The other tree is just misshapen now because whatever chewed it had no aesthetic understanding…

I’m just unsure if I should chop now or wait until after first flush and hardened leaves.

The extent of new growth is literally the first green tips of a growth tip on Chinese elm and trident maple. I’m in zone 7 in NY state

 

[Pmr]

should I chop now or wait until first flush hardens off? It seems counter intuitive to let the tree use that energy and then hack it off. Maybe hack it now and let the energy go into the new apex growth?

 

[Gabler]

should I chop now or wait until first flush hardens off? It seems counter intuitive to let the tree use that energy and then hack it off. Maybe hack it now and let the energy go into the new apex growth?

When the new growth hardens off, the tree has recovered the energy it spent growing.

 

[Pmr]

When the new growth hardens off, the tree has recovered the energy it spent growing.

Ok thanks!