5 Tips To Prepare Trees for Winter

Is it necessary to prepare trees for Winter? If so, is it something you can handle yourself, or should you hire tree-cutting services in Kitchener to help? While most trees ultimately survive winter, cold weather can take a toll on them. Damage to roots, bark, and branches can take place during winter. Preparing your trees ahead of time can help to keep them healthier so that they are ready when spring finally returns. Here are some simple things you can do to prepare your tree for winter.

1. Water

Depending on where you live, there may be more precipitation during winter than in summer. However, this may occur as snow, which doesn’t help trees until it melts, and cold temperatures cause the groundwater to freeze as well, meaning that there is less moisture available to nourish the tree. Watering your trees in the fall helps to fortify them to better withstand long dry spells during the winter. During cold weather, trees go dormant and don’t use as much water as during warm weather, so topping them off before winter sets in is a good way to help keep them healthy.

2. Mulch

Giving your tree extra water to prepare it for winter won’t do it much good if the water immediately evaporates away. If you mulch the soil around the trunk of your tree, it can help to hold that moisture in so that it will do the plant some good. You should mulch the tree as soon as possible after watering it.

Mulching your tree also provides another benefit during the winter. Tree roots can be damaged by extreme cold. A layer of mulch provides insulation and prevents the soil from becoming as cold as it would otherwise. This helps to protect the roots.

When you are mulching, be careful to leave some space between the mulch and the trunk of the tree. Retaining moisture in the soil is good, but retaining moisture on the trunk could promote mould growth, which can ultimately damage the tree.

3. Fertilize

Like other plants, trees draw nutrients from the soil that they need to grow. After a hot summer, the nutrients in the soil have probably been depleted. Fertilizing the tree in the fall replenishes the nutrients to nourish and strengthen it before winter. This allows the tree to protect itself more effectively against insects, disease, and other types of damage.

4. Wrap

The bark of a tree is susceptible to the rays of the sun. Sunscald is damage that occurs to the bark from sun exposure. It can be worse during winter because, first, the leaves of the trees no longer block the sun’s rays and, second, the sunlight can reflect off snow, giving the bark a double dose. Wrapping the trunk of a tree with special tree wrap can protect the bark and prevent sunscald.

5. Prune

There are two ways to prune a tree. One is to remove branches that are already dead or diseased. You can do this type of pruning any time of year, including fall. The other type of pruning is the strategic removal of healthy branches to protect the tree and prevent it from becoming overgrown. When you should perform this type of pruning varies depending on the types of trees you have, but late fall to early winter is typically the best time.

How Martin’s Tree Service Can Help

Performing these actions improperly could do more harm than good. For example, if you remove too many branches when pruning your tree, you could damage it permanently or possibly kill it. Our experienced arborists know how to prune a tree correctly. When you are wondering, “Where can I find tree-cutting and removal services near me?” turn to Martin’s Tree Service, a trusted provider in the Kitchener area for over a decade.