When temperatures fall, you likely take steps to protect your home and belongings from the winter chill. Although trees are vulnerable to weather-related issues in the winter, property owners often forget about them in their winterization efforts. Knowing how to prepare trees for winter is the key to having a successful springtime bloom.
We offer comprehensive tree services in Cheshire, CT, at GM 2 Tree Services. Consider our post below to learn how to winterize your trees and understand the importance of doing so.
Why Winterizing Trees Is Necessary
Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall typically occur during Cheshire winters. Unfortunately, these environmental conditions can lead to several tree health problems, including:
- Winter burn: Intense winter winds can dry out trees and cause dieback.
- Bark damage: Hungry animals looking for food in the winter sometimes tear at the bark of young trees, which makes them vulnerable to structural issues and diseases.
- Root stress: A lack of hydration in the middle of winter can trigger damage-inducing root stress.
Tips for Protecting Your Trees This Winter
Whether prioritizing disease prevention or promoting frost protection, you can follow these steps to learn how to prepare trees for winter.
Wrap the Trunk
Sometimes, the winter temperatures are drastic enough to damage tree bark. Trees may develop sunscald or frost cracks in their trunks. Younger trees with thin bark are the most susceptible.
To protect your trees from this kind of damage, wrap their trunks in commercial tree wrap. Go up as high as the trees’ first branches, and keep the wrap on until early April, when the trees leave dormancy.
Mulch the Tree
Mulching is an excellent way to protect your trees from wintery conditions. Add enough mulch to surround the tree’s trunk. The mulch layer should be up to three inches high, three inches wide, and three inches from the trunk.
This approach to mulching helps insulate the soil around tree roots, which is essential to the roof system’s ability to handle freeze/thaw cycles. The mulch also controls soil erosion and suppresses weed growth when the growing season resumes.
Water the Tree Through Late Fall
Relying solely on rain to water your trees may not be ideal. Watering the ground around your trees deeply to ensure the soil around their roots is well-hydrated but not oversaturated is best in late fall. To water your trees deeply in the fall, let a hose trickle water into your lawn for 10 minutes every other week.
Protect Junipers, Arborvitaes, and Boxwoods in Your Yard
Some evergreens, like boxwoods, arborvitaes, and junipers, are susceptible to extensive damage from drying winds and snow buildup. Wrapping these trees in wire cages or burlap in the late fall safeguards the trees’ more sensitive elements. It prevents damage that would require tree replacement in the spring.
Prune Branches at the Right Time
You may think that pruning your trees in the fall is best for your winterization plan. However, it’s usually better to prune branches in the winter instead of the fall season. Waiting until the tree is dormant and free of leaves makes it easier to identify and remove dead branches and improve the tree’s form.
Turn to GM 2 Tree Services for More Tree Winterization Help
Knowing how to prepare trees for winter helps ensure a beautiful and healthy spring bloom. Look no further than GM 2 Tree Services for high-quality tree care solutions in Cheshire, Connecticut. Our trained technicians offer tree pruning, tree removal, stump grinding, and other services, which we back with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Check out our winter tree survival guide, then contact GM 2 Tree Services at (860) 940-5783 to request a free estimate for services in Cheshire.
