How to Care for Trees in Winter
Rapid temperature fluctuations, ice, and storm take their toll on all trees, not only the newly planted ones. Winter is a stressful time even for species native to colder climates. Adding the fact that most residential plants are quite exposed to the elements (as opposed to forest) makes winter a pretty harsh period. As a tree contractor, I feel responsible for warning people about the major problems that their trees can experience during cold weather.
Cold stress
Although cold stress can take many forms, frost cracking is the most common one. As temperature varies from daytime-warm to night time-freezing, mature trees experience stress between the inner wood and the outer bark. This type of stress usually leads to cracks, which are also called Southwest injury. There is not much that can be done to prevent such problems, unless the tree is young. In this case, you can wrap the trunk as part as the fall maintenance procedure.
Winter drought
This problem occurs when a tree cannot absorb as much water as it needs from the frozen ground. It usually occurs in early spring, when the sun begins warming up while the ground remains frozen. One way to avoid winter drought is by laying down a thick layer of mulch around the base. However, this must be done before the first snow hits.
Branch breakage
Branches are more susceptible to breakage during winter. Freezing temperatures makes them somewhat more vulnerable and brittle. And if you add the strong winds and the accumulation of snow and ice on branches, you’ll quickly get the idea why many of them don’t make it through the winter. The only way to avoid this particular problem is to trim your trees properly during the fall. Hire a reputable tree contractor and make sure that they perform proper trimming and pruning so that nothing is affected by heavy snow or extreme temperatures.
Graham's Professional Tree Service is a professional company that offers quality and reliable services for both residential and commercial clients in Graham, NC. If you’re interested in our services, then feel free to call us at (336) 677-5954 for more information.