Question
last june a tornado came thru and took off 1/3 - 1/2 of the leaves from the tree. I was hoping that by now the leaves would come back.as of now the damage is still there and 1/2 of the tree is leafless. can this tree be saved?.

               thank - you jim,

Answer
First check and see if the branch is still alive--start near the end of the branch and scrap a small bit of bark off and if the color under the bark is green the branch is still alive at this point on the branch. If the color is brown continue down the branch scraping at intervals until you find green or reach the trunk. If none is found the branch is dead. You can prune these dead branches off or as you say wait and see and if nothing sprouts out in a month or so go ahead and cut the branches off. Prune them back to the main trunk or a living area but not flush with the trunk--leave about a 1/4 inch from the trunk. This area is called the branch collar and if left the wound will heal over faster. Do not use wound dressing on the cut this will slow down the healing process.

If it is still alive the branch should leaf out. With a drastic defoliation like from a tornado it may take several  years to regain the full foliage it originally had. During dry weather water with 1 inch of water- place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. Do this once a week during dry spells.