Snow damage...Also...

[secuono]

Well, the 1ft snow we had bent our other willow down to the ground. Some of it broke, trunk bent halfway up, fairly strong bend. I was able to shake the snow off, let it sit for a bit, then straightened it out some more and let it sit again. Next morning I straightened it up all the way. But now I wonder what this type of bending does to a tree long term...

We decided to dig the tree up this year and move it, it's too close to power lines, I do not want the county coming out and hacking at it once it's a big, mature tree. So it'll be going through more stress...I'm wondering if I should move it now, during winter or right as spring starts and buds start to emerge??

 

[baymule]

Poor tree. We don't get that kind of cold here, so I am not much help to you. Here it is best to move trees in the fall or very early spring to give time to recover before the summer heat cooks them.

 

[secuono]

We used to get snow fairly regularly, now it's very rare we get anything over 3in and it also rarely lasts more than a day or two...
Two, three years ago, we got 2-2.5ft of snow! Same back in '96, 2.5-3ft snow.

 

[lesa]

I don't know about moving the tree... but, it reminds me of a birch tree I pass in a neighborhood nearby. It has been bent over so many time with heavy snow- that it is now growing that way. It is almost stretching out into the road. Yet, it remains alive! Nature is a wonderful and strange thing. Good luck with your tree.

 

[Carol Dee]

Let nature take it's course. We try not to touch, ove, etc... frozen trees. Tehy tend to be brittle and my damage them more. Wait until spring and it may straighten on it's own. Then you can carefully move it.

 

[897tgigvib]

I think what Carol says is the best idea Sec. And, what Lesa says, it will probably look pretty cool

 

[Nyboy]

Lesa one of the trees I hope to plant this spring is a weeping birch. White flower farm had one in their display garden it was huge and so pretty.

 

[Jared77]

Id wait till the fall of 2013 to move it. If you move it in spring then the tree only has a few months to prepare for the heat and dry conditions of summer. Its a bigger risk than I would take. I'd wait till it starts to show signs of going dormant and then move it.

You could even prep the ground ahead of time so your not doing SO much work at one time. Then once the ground is ready and the weather cooperates then move it. Then its dormant till the following spring when it can start new growth on schedule and take advantage of spring to prepare for the following summer.

Otherwise Id keep an eye on it and let it do its thing.

NYBoy have you looked at the weeping cherry? Beautiful trailing pink blossoms, once mature its gorgeous in bloom.