Tree Care During the Wintertime
During the winter, many trees will face they’re greatest obstacle. This includes the lowering of temperatures as well as snow, ice, and wind. It’s vital that the trees on your property which are exposed or isolated are in fact protected. There are many unique ways you can approach or get this done by the time winter rolls back around. Although there is no guarantees as to the safety of your trees, these techniques will help minimize damage caused by the winter.
Cold Stress: The sudden change of temperature from daytime to nighttime can lead to frost cracking. These are cracks from the outer bark to the inner wood and in most cases the tree can heal itself. However your going to want to go out and get a burlap coating or cold weather tree blankets from the local nursery. This can help reduce frost cracking as well as the loss of moisture which trees need to survive.
Winter Drought: For this particular problem, unfortunately there’s not that much that can be done. Your best bet is to lay down plenty of organic mulch. During freezing temperatures, drying out can become a serious issue particularly among evergreens. Drought happens when the tree loses more water than it can absorb.
Branch Breakage: Branches are far more susceptible toward breaking during the winter because as the temperature drops,the wood becomes much more brittle. Once the wood freezes, it hardens and therefore becomes much easier to crack. The best defense against cracking branches is to do proper pruning. By removing weak, rubbing, diseased, or dead branches, you’ll be strengthening the tree and reducing the liabilities that go along with it during the wintertime.