Keeping Your Trees In Great Health Through The Winter Season

While winter gives your trees some rest time from the drought-like conditions and heat that trees have to tolerate in the summer. It is also a time of stress on trees that are now exposed to heavy snow, ice on the leaves and branches, and highly cold temps. With these kinds of conditions, there are a few things that you can do to have healthy trees in the winter season.

Remove dead foliage and overgrowth on your trees to stop these areas from getting too heavy from the ice and snow. By having your trees pruned by a professional tree specialist, your trees are lean and can withstand the harsh, cold weather.

Winter is for Pruning

Winter (late fall works too) is the best time to prune your trees. They are better to adjust to the stress that comes from pruning when the weather is less demanding than in the summer. It is particularly important to remove limbs that expand over your driveway, sidewalk, or house.

Put some mulch around the bottom of your trees before the snow falls. This delivers much-needed insulation while also safeguarding the base of the tree. Also, it helps retain moisture by lessening the amount that evaporates from the root area of the tree.

Hydrating your trees before winter is imperative, particularly in dry areas where the last good rainfall might have been months ago. Even though trees are in the dormant stage of growth in the wintertime, they still must be very hydrated before winter hits.

Having a tree contractor fertilize your trees before winter gives them with the nutrients they require to make it through the cold winter months. These things should help make sure you have the resources needed to not only endure the winter but also to flourish when spring arrives.

Watering

While it may appear counterproductive, watering your trees one to two days before a deep freeze hit is one of the best ways to shield the root system. With cold weather comes higher winds and these winds can make the tree dry out faster than you think. Also, having enough moisture can help sustain a higher temperature in the soil surrounding the roots when the temps go very low.​

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