Knowledgebase

Snow damaged Columnar Juniper tree top #754878

Asked June 08, 2021, 4:34 PM EDT

Is there anything that can be done to salvage a Juniper tree that got bent/broken top and is now very brown? The bottom of the tree is still green and appears to be healthy. Should I cut the trunk below the brown limbs and prune the bottom to just look like a smaller tree? Would the tree then grow back that way at all? Or Just trim the dead branches back to the trunk and see if the trunk top ever recovers? I don't see any actual cracks or breaks on the trunk but the bark on the top doesn't look like it is still happy either. Thanks for any information on what to do here.

Boulder County Colorado

Expert Response

Good Morning, Lynn --

Before doing anything too drastic, it's good to do a bit more sleuthing! So I'm glad you sent a question in. One thing that will be good to do is to try to snap one of the top branches - is it brittle and does it break easily? If so, then we know that those branches are indeed dead. If not, then they may be damaged but not entirely gone. 

Another question I have, is this: did this browning appear more recently? Or has it been there since the winter? If it has appeared more recently, the tree might be underwatered and struggling from the hot days we've had! Drought stress starts from the top of the tree down. So some good watering over the next few weeks might be helpful to see if it turns the health around. 

It is best to prune trees in the late fall/winter to provide the least amount of stress to the tree (which is right now using energy to grow). I have had some success pruning the top of an evergreen tree, however trees do need to have one branch be the leader. So cutting off the leader will likely significantly slow the growth of the plant until another leader is established. However, let's do some problem solving first by answering the questions in the first two paragraphs and then we can reassess. 

Feel free to follow up. 


Kindly,

Jasmine

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 09, 2021, 1:02 PM EDT
The branches on the top are very dry and break fairly easily.  I'm fairly certain that this was caused by the last big snow which I wasn't here to shake off or these poor trees.  The top started looking like it was damaged shortly after that last snow storm and this tree was bent over almost to the ground. I normally wrap them with lights to prevent them from taking as much snow damage but didn't end up doing that this last year.  I have 5 more of the same tree right next to this one that are still good even though some of the tops are still bent over on these.
 
I have a drip system that I run on these and it appears to be working although maybe this end tree didn't get as much water as the other ones that still look good which could be why it took more damage from the storm.
 
-Lynn
On 06/09/2021 11:02 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
 
 
The Question Asker Replied June 09, 2021, 4:48 PM EDT
Hi Lynn,
We are forwarding your question to our Tree Team for them to answer your question whether the columnar juniper tree is able to have a new leader.


Vickie - Boulder County Master Gardener

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 10, 2021, 11:19 AM EDT
Hi Lynn,
Yes the juniper can develop a new leader, but it may take a while and will never really look the way it did before getting damage. So you may want to consider a replacement. If you're patient, you'll need to train a new leader with staking close to the trunk.
Here's a fact sheet on pruning -- most importantly, trim away all dead branches and perhaps thin the lower branches to stimulate a leader to develop.
https://static.colostate.edu/client-files/csfs/pdfs/618.pdf.
Boulder County Master Gardeners
An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 11, 2021, 5:07 PM EDT

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