Seasonal Tips   Ice Damage   Heavy snow and ice storms cause damage by bending and breaking branches. Multiple leader, upright evergreens, such as Arborvitae and Juniper, and multiple leader or clump trees, such as Birch, are most subject to damage. Relatively small trees can be wrapped together with heavy twine, two-thirds of the way above the trunk unions. These wrappings must be removed in the spring to prevent girdling and allow free movement of the stem.  Periodic crown thinning can reduce ice damage by removing excess growth so the parent limb can withstand the weight of the ice buildup. When branches do break, however, the tree must be assessed to determine if it can be saved or if the damage is severe enough that it should be removed. If branches are only bent, then temporary propping may save them until the ice melts.   Snow Damage   Snow damage often occurs in the late fall before all the leaves have dropped from the trees or in the early spring just after the new leaves have emerged. Evergreen plants are susceptible to snow damage throughout the winter. Actions taken before, during or after the storm can minimize plant damage. Smaller plants can be wrapped with twine to reduce the area of the plant that can hold the snow. If the plants aren’t wrapped, then lightly shaking them during or after the storm will reduce the weight of the snow on the branches. Always push upwards when removing snow from your plants.