Tree Preparation for Winter

Before we know it, another winter is here. It means we need to protect the wildlife and habitats around us. That means preparing the world around us for the cold months.
Trees are needed for good air and habitats for the wildlife. It’s important to protect them so that they can continue to provide for the world in the way they’re supposed to. Here are steps you can take to protect the trees near you.

Wrap the Trunks and Mulch the Base

Start by wrapping up the trunks. They tend to have thin barks, which leads to more risk of frost cracks in the drastic winter temperatures. Once the bark is damage, it’s much easier for a tree to end up further damaged and diseased. It’s important to wrap up the trees in the fall and leave them wrapped until at least early April as the temperatures start to go up.

You’ll also want to protect the roots, and the best thing you can do here is to protect from the colder temperatures as the snow drops. You want wood chips, bark, and mulch around the base. You’ll only need 2-4 inches of mulch to keep the roots safe. It’s much easier for the soil to absorb water without freezing where it’s needed.

You can use the leaves from the fall as your mulch. This is a great way to recycle what the trees are offering you, keeping costs down and ensuring the use of organic material.

Give Your Trees the Water They Need

As you start to pack everything up for the end of the summer, you’ll want to use your hose one last time. Your trees need water, and this is a good time to help with that. Use the hose all over the trees, including where the longest branches are.

You’ll also want to make sure the ground is as moist as possible. The mulch will help to absorb the moisture lower down, ensuring the roots can get to what it needs before the frost sets in.
If you have any conifers, pay close attention to them. You’ll need to water them the most this time of year. They don’t lose their leaves so they need water much more than the summer trees. They will end up losing more water in the winter, so you can help with the hose before the cold comes.

There’s no need to prune anything right now. Save that for the late winter, when you can remove some of the dead branches and get ready for the spring weather.