Ice Crystals On The Trees

[Henry]

Temperature up here at my house stayed at 32.5 degrees all afternoon up until around 7:45 p.m.  It then jumped up to 32.7 degrees and was still there this morning.

When Mary Kay came home, even though she drove her 4 wheel drive truck, she said the roads still were not good.  She also said that just down the road here on the corner of Shepardson Hollow & Fletcher Road that the willows planted around the area were bent right over from the ice crystals hanging on the trees.  I lit my porch light and could see a sheet of ice on the grass here.

Didn't happen to hear about any bad accidents though, thank God.  I never left the house yesterday and Mary Kay picked up my paper and mail when she got home last night.

[Mollyd79]

Those trees are actually some type of sterile poplar hybrid that the previous owners planted on our property. Between the late, wet snowfall we had in the spring and the ice we had last night, I'm not sure how long they are going to survive. They aren't looking so good and lots of them have fractures at the base. I guess the fence we are putting up is just in time!

[Henry]

Hi MollyD - Probably a wise move on the fence - I saw the guy planting them and suspect the salt from the town trucks will remove them for you.

My daughter planted some Lombardy Poplars a couple years ago and the Lombardy Poplars attract Japanese Beetles that just loved my rose bushes.  At my request she pulled them out.

Thanks for responding.

[Mollyd79]

So, that's where all those beetles came from! We had a major invasion last summer. They loved my beans and basil:(

[cedarman]

we are on the opposite end of town and had a lot of japanese beetles too.  We don't have any Poplars, but we have an Eastern Cottonwood which I think is in the same family.  However, the beetles didn't seem to bother that tree.