December 19, 2018
Snow can have a huge impact on how you take care of your trees. Are you prepared?
Just like for the interior of your home and maintenance of your car, prepare and follow and winter checklist to care for your trees. The key to preparing your trees for harsh winters is to keep up with the maintenance throughout the year. When you come across any damage, see that it is repaired immediately. In addition, see that the pruning is always taken care of and ensure that you use a good fertilizer in the fall. If you plan on planting new trees, make sure that the species is native to your home’s environment. Once winter arrives, follow this guide to maintain healthy trees near your home.
Harsh Weather
The quick change between daytime heat to evening freezing does cause cold stress on trees. It can lead to frost cracking and stress between the outer layer of bark and inner wood. Trees are very resilient and are often capable of repairing themselves. One thing that owners can consider doing is wrapping the bark with cold weather tree blankets, which are especially useful for young trees. You can also purchase a plant protectant that reduces moisture loss in the winter.
Cold Droughts
Some winter weather can cause trees to dry out and not able to generate more moisture from the frozen ground. This problem can become worse in windy conditions. To combat this issue, tree owners can lay down a thick layer of mulch to try and insulate the ground from the harsh winter weather as much as possible. It will also help slow the loss of moisture while buffering the temperature of the roots.
Breaking Branches
Many factors lead to branches being much more vulnerable to breaking in the winter —this includes high winds and freezing rain. The biggest factor to minimizing this problem is pruning. Week branches are, of course, much more susceptible to harsh winter weather conditions. It may be necessary even to remove an entire limb from the tree. With small and young trees, the entire tree can be covered in the winter to help them survive the winter.
NATURAL SYSTEMS arborists are highly trained in Tree Removal, Tree Trimming, and Stump Grinding. Call us at (860)621-0008 to find out more about our expert arborist services in Southington and central CT.
Comments