How To Take Care of Trees

Trees add beauty and interest to a landscape. In addition, they provide shade and shelter that can be quite useful in unpleasant whether. In order to keep trees healthy and around for years to come, however, there are a few steps you need to take in the winter to help protect them

First of all, keep in mind that cold can stress out a tree, particularly if the daytime is warm and the night reaches freezing temperatures. The variation in temperatures creates extra stress and can lead to cracking, often referred to as frost cracking.

It is often difficult to prevent frost cracking from occurring. When it does happen, trees usually will repair themselves. If you have a young tree, however, it might not be able to overcome the stress created by the changes in the weather. Therefore, you should wrap the bark in the fall in order to help stabilize its temperature.

An early frost can also cause damage to trees, particularly on any growth that may occur late in the season. This is because the new growth hasn’t had the opportunity to prepare itself for the cold. The ice crystals that form on the tree can cause the cell walls to rupture and can cause the tips of the branches to die.

In order to prevent the death of new growth, refrain from pruning the tree until it has gone dormant. This will help prevent new growth from occurring. In addition, when fertilizing your trees in the fall, avoid using those with quick-release Nitrogen.

Winter drought, which is caused when the tree loses too much water, can also occur in the winter. To prevent this, be sure to lay down a thick layer of organic mulch around the base of the tree before winter begins.