sunnibel: You had a couple big swings in temperature in January but nothing like out here on the high plains. In the last week we've had three nights mid 20s and now 75-80 the last three days. We get 50-60F swings EACH WEEK all winter. So far this month we've had a high of 82F and a low of 18F, during bloom. That knocks off all the fruit but won't cause any damage to the wood. I've grown fruit out here 40 years and haven't seen wood damage on peaches from cold weather. That's zones 6 and 7. Coldest I've seen is -12F and no cold injury.

I usually just ut off the dead leaves with a pair of scissors. I use them to sheet mulch around the base of the plants. Just use whatever mulch you want on top of the leaves. If you want to cut the stalk all the way to the ground, you can lay those under the mulch as well. They decompose nicely and serve to feed the plants next year.

I would start looking for a replacement tree --- not for the reason you may suspect. In general, the ash trees are in trouble and many are starting into a slow decline. Unfortunately, we essentially made the same mistake with ash trees as we did with elm trees by planting too many of one species and not enough variety. When the elm trees died, almost everyone of them was replaced with an ash. Although ashes are a beautiful tree, they are suffering from an affliction called "ash yellows" or "ash decline". There is no treatment for it but the trees start showing a bit of stunted growth and a few branches, here and there, will start to die. This and the emerald ash borer have decimated the ash trees, particularly in the Detroit area where they compare this problem on a scale to Dutch elm disease. Fortunately, the emerald ash borer has not arrived in Iowa --- yet. In a simple case of frost bitten leaves, the trees are well prepared for this event. By nature, they have a lot of immature buds called "latent buds" (No, these are not next year's buds, Maude.) just waiting in the wings in case some injury (in this case frost) to replace damaged buds. It is true that a huge replacement of leaves raises the potential of placing the tree into stressful conditions. The best advice that can be given is just to provide a little extra TLC (mainly water) during the hot, dry days of summer. Unfortunately, for reasons other than frost, you stand a strong chance of eventually losing this tree. I know that our state foresters are advising people not to plant ash trees with much optimism. IronBelly

Toka is a good choice. I would consider grafting some other American and/or Hybrid plum varieties onto Toka in case Black Ice doesn't pollinate it. It is pretty easy to learn to graft plums and be successful in the first year. Next winter search online for scion wood sources, then graft in the spring. These varieties might be best for pollinating Toka: Wild American Plum (Prunus Americana), South Dakota Plum (another sport of Prunus Americana), Shiro, Superior, or other American/Hybrid Plums. It is possible Black Ice is fine, but the more the merrier. Honeycrisp will also need a pollinator. If there are wild crabapples near you they should work, or you can graft branches from them or other apples onto Honeycrisp. Wrap the trunks in screen or something to keep rabbits from girdling the trees, especially in winter. You should protect the trunks up to 18" above the expected snow line. If rabbits are present, they will girdle fruit trees (especially plums and cherries) every time.