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Is Your Tree in Need of a Consultation After Strange Winter Weather?

Himni Palacios
Content Contributor

Sometimes the weather can be pretty unpredictable and that weather affects us as well as trees. It can be hard to adjust to the constant flip between being covered in ice one day to melting it all of the next in 50 degree weather. This kind of change can seriously damage or compromise your trees and you may need an arborist to take a look.

Have you ever wondered what this weather does to your trees? Continue reading for a quick tell all.

Weather is something that helps trees develop and strengthen at the right time. While having some warm days during the winter is enjoyable and can sometimes feel like a miracle it harms our trees. They're still prepped for cold weather so when warmth strikes they prepare for that and it goes on and on.

Two things can occur after a harsh and confusing winter: root shock can occur, and delayed blooming in the spring.

Root Shock Can Occur

Trees that do not reach a fully dormant stage during the winter can be susceptible to winter shock. Cold weather can affect an entire tree but it directly affects the root system of the tree.

An example of strange weather can be one day of it being unreasonably warm during the winter and then the next the cold is unbelievably freezing. When the ground freezes so does the trees natural root growth. Although it doesn't completed go to a stop it does slow down. Without this constant, steady root growth the tree roots will be damaged.

A recommendation we can offer would be to take some mulch and add it to the base of your trees so that it is like an insulation. This insulation will allow a buffer to happen between the cold air and the soil.

Delayed Spring Blooming

While this information may seem to be obvious it can still be helpful to refresh your memory or if you didn't happen to know this, now you do!

If the winter weather happened to be strong that year the blooming process of your trees will be delayed. Even if your tree seems to be healthy and no buds are blooming that is totally normal. It just happens to be that the unseen warm days tricked your tree into blooming sporadically.

Be sure to keep a watchful eye on your trees for any signs of root damage and call us for a consultation!