How to Keep Your Trees Healthy This Winter

The winter months can be a tough time for many trees, especially those that are new to your garden. Trees need proper care in order to stay healthy, but it isn't difficult to do. Here are some tips on how you can prevent damage to your trees in the coming months!

Take care of your trees this Winter

In winter, trees can become damaged by wind and ice. To protect them from these elements, you should prune their branches for this storm season. Additionally, you should inspect your trees for any damage caused by storms —this will help ensure that your trees are healthy in the spring!

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Inspect your tree for damage

Check your trees for damage. During the winter months, vigorous growth is often stunted, and the tree may be more susceptible to disease or other problems that can affect its health. Check the following areas:

• Roots and trunk - look for shallow cuts or cracks in the base of your tree's trunk; These can be signs of disease or decay. 
• Branches - check for broken branches or ones that might break off due to weight from snow and ice; remove any dead limbs as well.

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Prune

Pruning is a crucial task for trees of all ages. It is particularly important in winter when the tree's weakest branches are more susceptible to damage.

In general, pruning is done to:

• Remove dead or damaged branches - if you see a broken limb hanging by a thread, it's time to trim that sucker down!
• Improve the health of your tree - consider cutting off any side branches that don't contribute much to growth at their ends (like twigs). This lets light reach all parts of your tree and helps prevent disease. If you're not sure where these side branches are located or if they're worth keeping around, consult an arborist who can give you advice based on your specific situation.
• Improve safety - if there are parts of your tree close enough together where the branches could potentially overlap each other as they grow larger over time, then those branches need trimming back now before they become too intertwined with each other later on in life (or worse yet get torn apart during storms!).

Wrap it up

Tree wraps are a great way to protect your tree from the elements and prevent Winter Burn. Tree wraps are made of varying materials, but tree experts recommend the use of burlap. Burlap is a woven material that allows moisture in. It’s heavy and dense, allowing it to block damage from ice and snow. 

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Keep rock salt away from your trees

Never, ever use rock salt on your trees. While it can help melt ice and snow, rock salt is a harsh chemical that can cause damage to the bark of your tree. If this salt finds its way to your soil, it can wreak havoc on the soil's natural salinity causing your trees to dehydrate. This damage will eventually lead to rot in the trunk and branches, which can lead to weakened growth or worse, death. Not only that, but this can also affect your lawn or any other plants surrounding your house, like flowers or shrubs. To avoid this damage, it's best practice to keep the rock salt you use away from your soil at all costs.

Take aways

All in all,  winter is a dangerous time for trees. It's important to keep them healthy with proper pruning and care. It is also important to protect them from damage caused by ice or snow buildup. By following these tips, your trees will be healthy and safe all year long! If you have yet to do so this year, we highly recommend reaching out for a free assessment of your trees. Our arborists can help assist you if your tree needs pruning. They can also assist in identifying disease if it is present in your trees. Acting fast to prevent the spread of disease can save your trees from further decay. After all, All we want are healthy and happy trees this Spring

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