Winter Tree Care Guide by Avery Gardens & Grounds Maintenance
Trees are one of the most magical parts of our landscapes, offering shade, oxygen and visual beauty all year long. Trees continuously work to make our environment a better place and we have a duty of care to maintain them through the seasonal changes.
Winter can be a particularly difficult season for many of our trees, with the cold temperatures and harsh winds taking a toll on tree health. This is why winter tree care is so important and something that we all need to play a role in to ensure our trees will have a healthy regrowth come spring.
Avery Gardens & Grounds Maintenance offers tree surgery and tree care services to all kinds of landscapes. We offer comprehensive tree care and are using our experience to provide tips for winter tree care that can help support your garden, grounds or estate this season.
1. Inspect Your Trees for Health Issues
The first step in delivering the best winter tree care is to perform an inspection of your trees. A tree survey can be offered by professionals, but can also be done independently ahead of the harshest weather to ensure that your trees are healthy.
Paying attention to any signs of wear, damage or disease will make it easier to deliver the precise care your trees need and ensure they thrive throughout the season. During this initial inspection, look of for signs such as:
- Cracks or Splits in the Bark: Cracks may worsen during winter as freezing temperatures can expand existing damage, so need to be addressed early.
- Dead or Diseased Branches: All dead and diseased branches should be removed during winter pruning, as these are the biggest threats to safety. These branches are more likely to snap under the weight of snow or in harsh winds.
- Pests or Fungus: Though pests are less active in colder months, signs of infestation may still be visible and need to be treated early to prevent spreading as the season goes on.
If you do notice any of these signs of damage, you must seek treatment or repairs as soon as possible. Professional tree surgeons, like those on our team, can help deliver the precise care you need and prevent further damage as the season goes on.
Doing this work early in the winter makes it easier to tailor your winter tree care to suit what your landscape needs and ensure you are providing the best possible support to your trees.
2. Winter Pruning
Pruning is an essential part of tree care all year round but is particularly important as part of winter tree care as this is the dormant season for most trees. This not only reduces the risk of shock to the trees when pruning but can also improve its resilience ensuring a longer lifespan for the future.
The work you do now should last throughout the winter, making it easier for you to shape your trees and keep your landscape neat while also preventing issues as the season progresses.
When pruning as part of winter tree care, it is a good idea to focus on removing weak branches. This means you will need to inspect the tree ahead of pruning and take note of diseased and damaged branches, as these are more likely to collapse under the weight of snow or in heavy winds. Any branches that are growing at an odd angle or seem brittle should also be removed.
All tree pruning should be done with sharp, clean tools to ensure a healthy cut. This increases the chances of the cut healing quickly and allows the tree to have a healthy regrowth in the future.
3. Use Mulch for Insulation
Mulch is one of the best tools for your garden during the winter and plays a significant role in winter tree care too. Mulch acts as a protective barrier for tree roots, shielding them from extreme temperature fluctuation while also maintaining soil moisture. This helps the tree to continue growing healthily while also having access to the nutrients it needs during the winter.
For best results, apply a 2 to 4-inch layer of organic mulch around the base of your trees. Compost, fallen leaves, and even wood chips can be used as mulch as they deliver nutrients directly to the roots of the tree as they decompose.
When applying mulch, make sure to leave a gap around the trunk to avoid rot and pests – especially when using organic materials.
4. Water When Needed
Although trees require less water in winter, dehydration can still occur if the soil freezes or winter winds dry out the tree. Newly planted and young trees are especially vulnerable and need additional care during the season to maintain their hydration and support their growth.
To ensure you are watering your trees effectively and delivering the specific care they need this season, you need to check the soil moisture levels before watering. To do this, dig a few inches down in the soil near the tree base to see whether it is dry. If it is dry, this is a sign your tree needs watering and offers just enough to prevent overflowing.
Overwatering trees in the winter can be particularly dangerous, as the excess water may freeze and cause damage to the roots. This is why it is a good idea to water your trees during the daytime or when the temperatures at at their mildest, as this allows for complete absorption before freezing.
5. Protect Trees from Harsh Weather
Winter is a time of harsh weather conditions, not just in terms of low temperatures but also with wind, snow and rain. Young and thin-barked trees are particularly prone to damage from these weather conditions and therefore need additional protection.
Burlap, tree wraps or canvas sheets can be used to insulate the trunks of the most impacted trees. Make sure that you are gently wrapping the base, to allow the tree to breathe, but also secure the sheets in place to prevent movement with the wind and rain.
If this winter is expected to deliver heavy snowfall, it may be a good idea to install wind barriers or tree supports in your landscape to protect them. This is especially important for young species.
6. Winter Pest Control
While many pests go dormant in winter, there are always exceptions and these can hinder the health of your trees this season. During winter, certain types of borers and aphids can still cause damage to your trees and therefore precautions need to be taken as part of your winter tree care.
Ensure that your trees are not attracting pests by promptly removing any fallen leaves, fruits, or plant debris from the ground, as these can harbour pests over the winter and into spring.
7. Avoid Using Salt Around Trees
Salt is a common and effective de-icer that is likely to be used this winter. Whether you are prepping your garden path or a public walkway, you need to take care to avoid tree roots when doing so. Salt can cause long-term health issues for trees and may hinder all of your winter tree care efforts so far.
If you do need to de-ice areas around trees, opt for an environmentally-friendly alternative instead like sand, gravel, or calcium magnesium acetate. This can offer the same benefits in terms of anti-slip and anti-freeze but without the risks to your trees.
Conclusion
Trees play a major role in our environment and are a key player in our health and well-being, so need to be respected. Tree care is a year-long job, but your efforts need to be increased during the winter to support these magnificent marvels of nature.
Using our experience delivering tree care and tree surgery, Avery Gardens & Grounds Maintenance has provided some of the best methods for winter tree care to help you support your landscape during the harshest weather conditions.
Contact Us Today
If you need additional support or professional help when delivering winter tree care, our tree surgeons are available. Contact us today to learn more or request a quote.
