Trees can have a tough time in the cold – and some types of trees are more prone to suffering in the cold than others. Young trees are especially vulnerable, since they don’t have an extensive root system in place yet, or thick bark to cover them like a coat. Other varieties of trees, such as those that evolved for milder climates, will need additional care to get safely through the winter.
What can do you to make sure your trees make it through the winter and continue to thrive into springtime?
1. Spray Your Trees
Those winter winds can dry out your trees. Some evergreens are particularly susceptible to drying out in winter winds. This can be compounded by the bright, sunny winter days – even though the sun might not feel warm on our skin, it can still be intense for the trees that experience it all day long. To protect these leafy evergreens, you can spray an anti-desiccant on their leaves. The waxy layer on the leaves can minimize the amount of water these trees lose in the winter months.
2. Water Your Trees
Before the ground freezes, water the trees that you planted most recently. If the soil thaws out at any point, water again. If you live in an area that gets a lot of winter snowfall, you can wait until well after the spring thaw to begin to water your trees, but if you live in an area with drier winters, try to water whenever Mother Nature gives you the opportunity.
3. Prune Your Trees
In winter, when deciduous trees have lost their leaves, you can see the trees’ branch architecture more easily – that means it’s an easier time for tree trimming. Finding problem branches in the winter and removing them is a smart step, and less of a hassle than it will be if you wait for the leafy, insect-friendly days of spring or summer.
4. Block Your Trees
If you live somewhere where hungry rabbits might gnaw on bark, you can protect young trees from hungry winter herbivores. Wrap their trunks with plastic — specifically made tree guards work best — working upward from the ground level. You can also keep deer away by putting chicken wire around the base of the trunk. This will prevent the deer from rubbing up against those young trunks and damaging the bark or partially uprooting your young trees.
5. Wrap Your Trees
You can cover young trees’ trunks with crepe paper wrap, which can prevent the cracking that comes from the expansion and contraction in the bark that is caused by freezing and thawing. Wrap from the bottom of the tree up to the lowest branches. Those cracks in the trunk are called “sunscald,” and you definitely want to prevent them.
If you’re concerned about the health of your trees, during the winter or any time of year, call on your local tree company. And if you’re here in Cincinnati, you can call the best tree service in Cincinnati: all of us here at Tree Images.
