Dear Marc,

Dear Marc,

Here is a reference to a previous response by a Denver MG that you may find helpful


Sometimes even columnar trees do get a heavy snow load, and remain bent over for a time. Usually they will recover over time, with warmer weather and the natural inclination of the stem leader to stand upright.

If they don't straighten to your satisfaction, then staking them with posts and twine or wire will help the process along faster.

To prevent breakage in the winter, you can shake off the snow during a storm so that the load doesn't reach the breaking point. Start at the bottom of the tree, because starting at the top sends the extra snow toward the lower branches, which magnifies the weight and could break lower limbs. You may have to do this multiple times during a storm--especially in the spring when the snow is very wet.

Also, pruning towards a better structure of the tree may help. If the top of your junipers have stray branches coming off near the top, prune to a more columnar shape to naturally shed snow.

Do not try to remove ice as you can damage your trees. 

Also, you may find this a useful link. 

https://denvergardeners.wordpress.com/2022/12/29/winter-storm-damage-to-trees-and-shrubs/

Regards,

Marion

El Paso MG