Winter is a magical time of the year. Everything is quiet and most often covered in snow. While this may look nice on a postcard, your trees may be suffering under the onslaught. In the winter your trees need a bit of extra TLC in order to stay safe from ice, snow, and salt damage that comes with the winter season. Harsh winds and ice are even more dangerous for young trees, and in some cases Storm Tree Removal services will be needed if the tree breaks from winter damage. Thankfully, we have some tips to help you keep your trees safe from ice, snow, and salt all winter long.
Wrap Your Trees Against The Cold
Ice and snow can damage the bark of your tree, especially if they are young or newly planted. One way to keep them safe is by wrapping them for the winter season. Any new tree should be wrapped for at least two winter seasons. Certain species such as willow and maple will need to be wrapped and mulched each winter for at least five seasons.
Assess Your Trees For Their Risks of Winter Damage
Give our professional arborists a call so that we can come out and check each of the trees on your property. This will allow us to give you customized solutions for each species of tree that you own. Not only is this good for your trees, but it will also help minimize the risk of snow, salt, and ice damage over the whole season.
Using Shrubs as Barriers
Barriers are a great way to keep your trees safe from ice storms and snowstorms. Plant shrubs around the line of your trees in the spring to create a winter barrier that will keep out deer and create a line of defense against harsh winter weather.
Mulching Your Tree Roots
Snow and ice can have a negative effect on your tree roots. One way to protect them from the cold is by adding a layer of mulch around the base of your tree. This can be straw mulch or wood chip mulch, just make sure not to pack it too tightly. This will help your tree roots to retain moisture in addition to feeding it nutrients all season long.
Winter Tree Cabling, Trimming and Bracing
If your tree limbs come under too much weight from ice or snow in the winter, it can cause serious damage. Broken branches and bent trees will have trouble recuperating in the spring, but you can prevent this type of winter damage in advance. At the start of winter simply cable the branches of your tree together to prevent breakage from too much weight. Trimming your branches if they get damaged or broken is critical. Though most pruning is done in the fall, it is okay to trim damaged trees in the winter. This will prevent damage to property or accidents such as broken branches falling on people in the middle of the winter.
Preventing Salt Damage
During the winter is it common for property owners and businesses to salt the ground. This helps prevent ice buildup that can make it hard for people to walk and cars to navigate safely on the roads. This salt can harm trees by causing the roots to get dehydrated which will lead to poor growth and brown leaves in the spring. Instead of using pure salt, add in some abrasive materials and look for sodium chloride alternatives. As always, Five Star Tree Services is here to help with your Tree Care in Richmond Hill when you need us. Give us a call at (416) 990-3355 to find out more about our winter service packages today.