The trees on your property are important features of your landscaping as they can provide aesthetic value and functional benefits. Yet, these trees can be subjected to intense stresses due to the weather extreme that they will experience. In order to help protect your trees against the issues that the winters can case, you will need to prepare your trees for the arrival of winter weather.

Trim Branches That May Touch The Ground When Loaded With Snow

If you live in an area that receives heavy and regular snowfall, you will want to trim any branches on the tree that may touch the ground if they are loaded with snow. When the branches are weighed down with snow, they can come into contact with the ground, and this can contribute to the branches developing disease. Once these branches become diseased, the issue can spread throughout the tree. When trimming the branches, you will want to be sure that you seal the cuts so that disease will not develop.

Supplement The Mulch Near The Base Of The Trees

The roots of the tree can be among the most important parts of the plant as they will provide it with nutrients and water. However, roots that are fairly close to the surface of the soil can be at a higher risk of freezing, which can kill them. The base of the tree will be particularly vulnerable to this problem as many roots will get close to the surface of the soil. To protect these roots from freezing, you may want to add mulch to the base of the tree as this will help to insulate the roots against below-freezing temperatures.  

Monitor The Tree's Water

Homeowners are often aware of the need to water their landscaping during summer droughts. However, they may underestimate the need to water these plants during droughts that occur in the winter. While your trees may not be growing leaves or flowering during these months, they will still require water. As a result, you should make sure that you water your trees when the winter weather calls for it. This will include both the amount of rainfall that has occurred as well as ensuring that the temperature will stay above freezing for at least a day after watering the trees. Otherwise, the water that you applied to the soil could cause the roots to be at a much higher risk of freezing, which could be extremely damaging.

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