With the cold winter weather, animals aren’t the only living creatures that hibernate. The plants and trees that flourish in spring and summer and impress your guests also go dormant during this season. While they may be getting their beauty sleep, this doesn’t mean you should neglect to care for them. After all, they may encounter some problems that you can help address.
Here are some common issues you may face when caring for your trees in the winter:
#1 Change in Temperature
No matter how healthy they may seem in summer, they might not be able to adapt to the cold. When they aren’t fully acclimated, sudden low temperatures can stress or even injure dormant plants. During the winter season, they will have to go through the changes in temperatures. While in the daytime, they can get some much-needed sunlight. Once nighttime comes, however, they will have to bear the freezing climate.
Exposure to such contrasting climates occurring on the same day can severely damage your tree. You may begin to notice cracked tree barks, frost cracks, and sunscald during this season. Never underestimate the power of mother nature, since even the strongest and mature trees in your property may succumb to it.
#2 Damaged by Animals
Even though most animals hibernate through winter, you still need to watch for some creatures looking for food. As it becomes challenging for them to seek nourishment during this season, they may be looking for trees to consume their barks, foliage, twigs, and more. Keep your eyes open for deer, mice, and rabbits since they can damage young trees by feeding on their bark and girdling them. More specifically, rabbits eat the bark above the snow, while mice consume near the ground level. The damage becomes more serious when heavy grass, heavy mulch, or weed cover surrounds your trees.
You can shelter yourself in your cozy home and keep yourself warm with comfortable clothes. Unfortunately, your plants can’t do the same without your assistance. If you don’t protect your trees in winter, most of them can get injured by animals. These injuries will then worsen due to the cold temperatures.
Reduce the damage by reducing nesting habitat. In late fall, cut grasses and other vegetation short that’s within 2 feet of young trees. Doing so decreases any protective cover for mice and other creatures that may consume stems and trunks. Additionally, apply physical barriers such as tree guards and spray repellents to keep animals away from your trees.
#3 Frost Heaving
Frost heaving refers to the upward shifting of the ground during winter. When the cold temperatures get into the soil and change the current moisture into ice, this generates the outward movement. As the earth starts to freeze, there’s a high chance of trees getting uprooted from the ground. In this case, the roots are most vulnerable to this type of damage. It can push out small and shallow-rooted plants out and expose them to the harsh winds.
Root tissues aren’t able to acclimate to temperatures that are much below freezing. Soil temperatures measuring below -9°C can severely injure or even kill them. Plants that have frozen roots may decline and wilt after growth resumes in the spring season. Apply a 4 to 6 inch layer of mulch, as this will act as an insulator and maintain the soil temperature.
#4 Salt Damage
Salt is a well-known solution to removing snow and ice that makes driveways and roads slippery and dangerous during winter. While it’s usually helpful for people, it can bring harmful side effects to your trees.
For evergreens, salt injury first appears as browning of the needles facing the road. It happens at the needle’s tip and continues to the base. As this progresses, they prematurely drop, and the branches become bare. As they perish, the tree’s photosynthetic capacity decreases, which causes it to weaken and die.
Salt also affects the opening of buds and twigs of deciduous trees in the spring. Those with thin bark are highly susceptible, while those with resinous buds are resistant. Other symptoms include the following:
- early fall coloration and leaf fall
- reduced green leaf coloration
- small growth rings
- smaller leaves with scorched margins
- thin crowns with dying twigs and branches
- tufting and clumping of foliage
Use the minimum amount of salt needed when it’s time to de-ice your driveway. Only apply it to these areas and avoid spreading it on the grass.
#5 Snow or Ice Breakage
The next things to look out for are snow or ice, common winter elements that inflict damage to your trees. Since snowflakes are light, it’s easy to dismiss the impact they have on your plants. However, as they accumulate over time, they’re now capable of bending and even breaking branches. They will also have to deal with ice storms, which are equally as damaging. Arborvitae, junipers, yews, and other multi-stemmed evergreens are often the most prone to breakage.
Prevent limb breakage by wrapping your trees’ branches for winter using strips of cloth or coated twine. It’s also crucial to practice proper removal of snow or ice from your trees to prevent injuring them. Make sure to get rid of heavy snow as gently as you can before it freezes to branches and limbs. Avoid attempting to remove ice that’s encased on the branches, as this can cause additional damage.
#6 Sunscald
Sunscald happens when the exposed tree bark warms up on sunny days, and its previously dormant cells activate in response to the warmth. These cells lose some of their cold-hardiness and are damaged once temperatures drop below freezing during nighttime. Signs of damage include cracking of the bark and discoloration.
The most susceptible to sunscald injury are deciduous trees with thin bark and southwest exposure. Additionally, as most young trees have thin bark, they are also more prone to this. Since sunscald is the plant equivalent to human sunburn, you must block the sun or reduce its intensity to protect your newly planted trees.
Wrap them with plastic tree guards or use white commercial tree wrap. Another solution is to paint the trees white, though this will permanently change their colour. You can also strategically plant shrubs to act as their shade.
#7 Winter Drought
Droughts are not only possible at deserts and other hot locations. As the earth gets colder during the winter season, this also means the water freezes. With the frozen soil on the way, it becomes more difficult for your trees to absorb the water they need to survive. It can bring them to the brink of starvation. Evergreen plants are more likely to struggle the most and die due to drying roots.
Just because there is snow doesn’t mean that your trees are getting enough water. For them to survive through these cold months, it’s necessary to water the area around your trees thoroughly and regularly.
The health and survival of your trees lie in their ability to adapt to the winter climate. Although they can breeze through this season without encountering any issues, it’s necessary to be at least aware of them. Knowing these will help you realize what they might need and figure out how you can address them.
Are you worried about the state of your trees? If you’re on a search for reliable tree services, we at Dave Lund Tree Service and Forestry Co Ltd. are here for you. Please feel free to contact us at (905) 884-0511 or email us at info@davelundtreeservice.com for inquiries.