Even though trees go dormant during the winter, they are still exposed to all the elements outside. There is no shelter for them to hide in. The extreme cold, snow, and ice can be hard on trees, especially any young and recently planted ones. When a tree is mature and fully grown, it will have developed certain protective features for itself. These can include widely spread roots and thick bark. We here at Five Star Tree Services want to go over how you can help prepare your trees for the cold weather, so they can survive the winter months easily.
Things You Can Do In Fall & Early Winter
Water Your Trees
This is particularly important for young and recently planted trees. They need lots of water since their root system isn’t that big and established yet. It’s important to continuously water them throughout the fall, until the ground freezes. If there is ever a warm period that defrosts the soil and trees, take this opportunity to water all your young and recently planted trees. Doing this is going to help prevent the soil from drying out and give them a little extra boost.
Add More Mulch
In late fall and early winter, you can put a little more mulch around your tree’s drip line, it should be less than 2 inches deep. Doing this will help to protect the roots and keep them warmer when the temperatures get unbearably cold. It also helps with retention of water in the soil, so your trees have more when they wake up. Make sure you don’t pile the mulch too thick and make sure it’s not touching the trunk of the tree. The reason to wait for late fall and early spring is to avoid small pests from taking advantage of it themselves and using it as a place to hibernate or move it to their nests.
Use A Protective Spray
This is for coniferous trees, the ones that stay green all year long and don’t shed leaves. During the winter, the sun and wind can dry things out. Before the full effect of winter takes hold, use an anti-desiccant to cover the trees with a wax-like covering. This is going to help them retain their moisture and protect them from damage.
Protect Against Sunscald
During the winter, when the sun is out, even though the air is freezing, it can defrost the trunk of a tree but then when night comes around, the freezing temperatures will re-freeze the trunk again. These two extremes can make the bark cells burst which creates breaks within the trunk. This is known as sunscald. In order to help protect your trees
from this, you can cover them with paper tree wrap or a plastic base cover. If using the paper method, start at the base and wrap the trunk, make sure to overlap the layers by 1/3. You can stop wrapping it a little below the lowest and smallest branches. You will be able to take this off in the spring. Trees more prone to this will be on the west or south sides of your house.
Protect Against Pests
Rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks love to eat through the bark of young trees during the winter. They are known to eat through the outer and inner back, exposing the internal wood of the tree. If this happens and is done around the whole trunk, the tree is most likely going to die. Luckily, you can prevent this from happening by wrapping plastic guards around the trunk in the fall. Start wrapping at the base and work upwards and make sure it covers past the expected snow line. You can take this protector off in the spring. Alternatively, you can wrap the trunks with chicken wire. This method is also good for protecting your trees against deer, if they are a problem in your area.
Things You Can Do in The Winter
Keep Rock Salt Away
Rock salt is what is used on roads, driveways, and sidewalks during the winter to melt the ice and snow. This, however, is detrimental to your trees if they come in contact with it. It wreaks havoc on your tree roots, not allowing them to take in water, oxygen, or other nutrients. Essentially, it makes the tree starve and die. If you want to avoid using rock salt entirely but still melt the ice on your driveway and walkways, pick an ice dissolving product containing magnesium chloride, calcium, or potassium instead.
Clear Branches of Snow
Snow that collects on your tree’s branches can get heavy enough to break them. To stop this accumulation, clear off the snow regularly with upward motions. Never break any ice off the branches, as this can harm the tree by snapping brittle and bare branches.
Perfect Time to Prune
During the winter is the best and most optimal time to prune your trees. For starters, you are able to see the branches better, for there aren’t leaves obstructing your view. Another reason this is such a great time to do it is that your tree is hibernating, so you won’t hurt or injure it in this state.
How Five Star Tree Services Can Help
Regular tree care and maintenance is important. Preparing your trees for the cold winter is part of this maintenance. Our team at Five Star Tree Services is here to help you in any way we can with our tree care services in Toronto and the GTA. If you would like to utilize these services, make sure to call us at (416) 990-3355 today!