Did you know that proper winter tree care can help your trees thrive in other seasons? As a top-rated provider of tree services in Lexington, KY, Tree Care Inc. can keep your trees healthy so they continue providing benefits for your property. Follow these eight tips to help keep the plant healthy between professional appointments.
The Importance of Winter Tree Care
Why do trees need dedicated care during the winter? While many species have evolved to endure extreme temperatures and reduced moisture, even healthy ones can benefit from extra help. When they thrive — rather than simply survive — they provide several benefits to your property.
A healthy tree can enhance your curb appeal and increase your property value. They also help slow soil erosion that can affect the landscaping and foundation of your home. Keeping your trees in peak condition also prevents them from falling or dropping branches, which could damage your property.
Eight Ways To Help Your Tree Thrive in Winter
To set the foundation for a healthy and abundant spring, follow these eight essential tree-care tips.
1. Prune or Trim During the Dormant Season
Pruning trees is an essential part of caring for them, and most require it every three to five years once they mature. However, if the tree develops a disease, pruning can remove the unhealthy branches and prevent the spread.
Trimming the canopy helps reduce overgrowth and guides the plant’s growth toward a specific shape. Both services also improve spring flowering and fruit production.
Winter is often the best time to cut branches because the tree is dormant. It reduces the stress on the plant and allows it time to heal before it starts directing its energy toward growth.
2. Add Protection From Freezing and Frost
Protecting the bark from freezing is one of the most important winter tree care tips. By adding tree insulation, you prevent frost cracks in vulnerable or younger trees. Covering the entire plant with burlap, a sheet, or a tarp can help them retain heat and avoid injury from water freezing beneath the bark.
3. Apply Mulch To Retain Moisture and Heat
Applying a mulching base can enhance protection against freezing weather and improve soil moisture during a typically dry season. However, you don’t want to use too much, as it can compact the dirt and suffocate the roots. In general, you should apply two to five inches of mulch in a layout that doesn’t crowd the trunk and extends about two feet out.
Mulch comes in the following varieties:
- Wood chips provide superior warmth and moisture retention.
- Bark mulch lasts longer than most other varieties.
- Leaves can help reintroduce nutrients back into the soil.
- Straw prevents weeds from crowding the base of the tree.
- Compost is an affordable solution that can improve root health.
Are you worried that you’ll use the wrong mulch or won’t lay the right amount? When you work with a tree care service, you won’t have to worry about making a mistake that could result in costly tree removal.
4. Monitor and Manage Hydration
Whether you’re trying to maintain winter garden growth or want to protect your trees, mastering winter watering is an essential technique. During the winter, most trees only require extra attention once or twice a month.
Prioritize watering on days when the temperature rises above 40 degrees around midday. If it rains, it may provide all the water the plant needs. Test the soil moisture with a screwdriver to prevent over-watering.
5. Apply Dormant Oil for Pest Protection
One of the winter tree care tips that most homeowners ignore is to apply dormant oil. An arborist can apply this petroleum-based substance to a tree’s branches to protect them from hibernating insects. Its lack of toxic chemicals won’t threaten the health of flowers or grass on your property.
What can hibernating insects do to your tree? They can burrow into the tree and feed on the sap, hindering the plant’s ability to transport nutrients and feed itself. They can also lay eggs, which quickly overtake the leaves and bark once they hatch.
6. Remember That Salt Damages Trees
Did you know that the rock salt cities used to manage icy roads can damage your tree? Many homeowners also use it to keep their driveways and walkways free of dangerous ice.
Take extra care to keep the salt away from your tree’s roots and grass. It sucks the moisture out of roots, leaving them severely dehydrated and starving for nutrients.
7. Remove Snow Quickly and Gently
When snow and ice sit on branches, they can severely damage the tree and put your entire property at risk. Excessive accumulation can threaten the tree in the following ways:
- Excessive weight: When snow and ice become too heavy, branches can snap. They may fall on a car, a home, or a person.
- Bark damage: If the snow melts and refreezes under the bark, it can create cracks that the tree can’t heal.
- Root stress: Winter precipitation can compact the soil, preventing roots from growing and suffocating them.
- Structural problems: Repeated snow damage can create weak points in the branches or trunk. It could collapse without much provocation, causing significant damage to your property.
When you clean the snow, don’t just rapidly shake it off the branches. Ideally, you should wait for it to melt and add extra protection to prevent it from accumulating. However, you can also use a broom to gently sweep it off.
8. Mark Boundaries for Snow Removal
Snow plows and other equipment can damage your tree if they come into contact with the trunk. Install barriers or markers to show where your sidewalk and driveway end. This can prevent impact damage that permanently harms the tree.
Schedule Expert Tree Care for Your Property Today
When you need reliable and cost-effective winter tree care, consider hiring a tree care service. Tree Care Inc. provides customized care for each species of tree and always prioritizes safety. We’ve served the Lexington area since 1993 and have established a strong reputation for excellence and professionalism.
Call (859) 347-2237 or complete our online form to start the process with a free estimate.
