Frost Damage on Young Sawtooths

[cutman]

This cold snap appears to have obliterated the new leaves on my sawtooth seedlings. I know all I can do is wait to see what regrows, but should I be optimistic or pessimistic? The trees are roughly 2 years old and grown from acorns. They had all leafed out within the last couple of weeks.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

Had that happen to mine last two years, they came back really bushy after the freeze and then we got tons of rain last summer and they all turned yellow/white so i'm waiting as well.

 

[Fish]

You should be fine. Maybe prune the central leader in a month or two if its getting crows feet.
But man that stinks as far south as you are.

 

[THE LLC]

They'll be fine. Didn't get cold enough to kill the tree to the ground. With sawtooths that will happen EVERY year in the south.

 

[cutman]

They'll be fine. Didn't get cold enough to kill the tree to the ground. With sawtooths that will happen EVERY year in the south.

Never happened to me in South Carolina before, and I've had sawtooths in the ground for 17 years! Nevertheless, I'm happy to know you think they will be ok. They sure look rough right now. I spread a little fertilizer and couple gallons of water around each tree today. Will see how they bounce back in the near future.

 

[Fish]

All Bradford pears around here look like that. Brown as toast after some 17 deg nights. I gotta feeling they will be green again pretty soon.

 

[THE LLC]

Never happened to me in South Carolina before, and I've had sawtooths in the ground for 17 years! Nevertheless, I'm happy to know you think they will be ok. They sure look rough right now. I spread a little fertilizer and couple gallons of water around each tree today. Will see how they bounce back in the near future.

Happens in Madison County, GA EVERY year.

 

[Brushpile]

If your Sawtooths had been mowed to the ground or eaten to the ground, they would comeback from the roots.

 

[cutman]

That is a good point. Y'all have reassured me. Thank you. It's just jarring to see trees that were so healthy a week ago now look like they've been sprayed by RoundUp.

 

[Brushpile]

Your trees have well established roots, so they will rapidly produce new top growth. For some reason Sawtooth get gnawed by rodents and browsed/rubbed by deer to they require more protection than the average oak seedling.