How to Fix an Arborvitae Split by Snow

Heavy snow wreaks havoc on evergreen trees and shrubs such as arborvitae, because they collect more snow than other plants due to their foliage. Commonly grown in home and commercial gardens as privacy barriers or specimen plants, arborvitae have multiple branches that are susceptible to damage such as breakage from the weight of snow and ice during the winter. Depending on personal preference, tape the split section of the plant to the remaining wood, or secure it with lengths of wire to conform the shrub back to its naturally rounded form before it breaks into two sections.

Things You'll Need

• Knife blade
• Rubbing alcohol
• Grafting tape
• Grafting wax
• Drill and 1/16-inch drill bit
• 18- to 20-gauge wire
• Washers
• Wire snips

Instructions

Taping Split Sections

1. Access the damage to the arborvitae and observe the split wood. A small branch that has been split for more than three days is unlikely to reattach to the remaining wood. Dip a knife blade in rubbing alcohol to sterilize it.

2. Position the blade flat against the arborvitae trunk, directly above the break in the branch, and cut downward to remove 2 inches of the bark, revealing fresh cambium tissue or inner green fleshy tissue. Also trim the end of the split branch so the size of the surface area matches the cut on the trunk. Ideally, you want maximum cambium-to-cambium contact between the trunk and broken branch when you join the two together.

3. Press the broken branch against the cut section of the remaining wood so the cambium tissues of both sections touch and meet. Wind several lengths of grafting tape around the joint to secure the bond. Extend the wrap by 2 inches on each side of the union.

4. Cover the grafting tape with a layer of grafting wax to seal the joint and prevent moisture from seeping in. Remove the tape after three months.

Wiring Split Sections

1. Drill a hole into each large limb that you want to stabilize using a drill and 1/16-inch drill bit. Extend each hole two-thirds of the way up from the base of the shrub.

2. Insert a 12-inch piece of wire through a hole, with 1 inch extending out through the exit hole. Form a loop by doubling the wire on itself and compressing it so it catches if you pull it out from the other side. The process is similar to forming a knot on a corner of thread. Repeat the process on a limb on the other side of the shrub.

3. Insert the ends of the two wires through a galvanized washer located at the center of the shrub. Pull the wires in until they force the stems to stand upright. Twist the taut wires to secure them, and turn the washer to twist the wires even more, thereby forming a tight cable assembly.

4. Cut the wires using wire snips after three months, and remove the washer as well. Depending on personal preference, cut the doubled end of each wire and slip it out of the limb carefully, or leave it inside to protect the shrub from snow in the future.

References

• "The Gazette"; Winter Burn; Ann Marie VanDerZanden
• Terry L. Ettinger Horticulture Consulting Services: Repairing Heavy Snow Damage
• SILive.com; Damaged Arborvitae Require TLC; Sandra Zummo; April 2010
• College of Georgia; Repairing Ice or Snow Damaged Trees; 2010
• Virginia Cooperative Extension; Managing Winter Injury to Trees and Shrubs; Diane Relf, et al.; 2009