DENVER — The double-barreled blast of winter dealt out in November and again in May has left trees and shrubs confused and wondering what to expect next. If trees could talk, they would be asking, “How do you expect me to grow in these conditions?”
“Last winter’s freeze and the heavy Mom’s Day snow was a double whammy,” said Ralph Brock of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. “In November, trees had yet to shed their leaves, and in May many had begun to bloom. But the cold weather in both situations just destroyed their normal cycle needed to grow and produce flowers and leaves for the summer season.”
Most forget we live in the High Plains desert region of the Rockies.
The only true native trees here are really cottonwoods. So all the others require special treatment to help them grow from year-to-year.
The Regis University Arboretum—Denver’s most complete tree collection has more than 1,200 trees from around the world to grow and prosper. The curator noted this is the most crazy season he has seen in the past 20 years.
“I planted many of the 30 trees we lost over the past year, and it hurts to see them gone,” Reggie Wagner said. “But we will replant, and replace those lost little by little.”
If the tree is dead, get it cut or cut it down. You can replant up until the first frost. Just remember newly planted trees need lots of water. And make sure you give the soil proper nourishment so your new tree will get the stuff it needs to grow.