Every season poses different challenges for trees. As the cold season approaches, it’s crucial to ensure your trees are prepared to face harsh wintry conditions. That’s because winter brings colder temperatures, strong winds and frost, which can all impact the health of the trees. The weight of snow and ice can also strain branches and trunks, leading to breakage. Additionally, salt that is used to grit roads can harm your trees if it splashes onto them. Scott Davies Tree Surgeon provides a range of tree maintenance services including tree planting, crown thinning, tree surveys, emergency tree work and tree removal.
If you have any trees on your residential or commercial property, keep reading to learn how to ensure your trees remain healthy and safe during the winter months.
Protecting Young & Vulnerable Trees
The environmental benefits of planting trees are extensive, from improving biodiversity to the ability of trees to store carbon in their leaves. However, if you happen to have planted any trees on your land recently, you will need to take extra steps to protect young trees from the extreme weather conditions ahead.
Ideally, young trees should be wrapped in a horticultural fleece so that they are shielded from cold temperatures and harsh winds. With the increasing number of storms we have experienced in the UK in recent years, this step is more important than ever.
In addition, staking young trees is essential to provide stability during strong winds and also to help prevent the roots from being torn up.
Wrapping And Protecting Tree Trunks
For more established trees, the trunk can also be vulnerable during the winter especially due to sunscald.
Sunscald occurs when the sun heats up the bark during the day, causing it to expand and then rapidly cool at night, leading to cracks and damage. To prevent this, you can wrap young or thin-barked trees with tree wrap in late autumn. This helps maintain a more constant temperature on the trunk.
Trees also need protection from hungry critters. In winter, animals like rabbits and deer may nibble on tree bark when food is scarce. Install tree guards or fencing to shield your trees from these potential threats.
Pruning Trees Over Winter
Pruning is an important step in getting your trees ready for winter. Removing dead or weak branches helps reduce the risk of breakage during heavy snow or ice storms. It also promotes air circulation, which can prevent fungal diseases.
Ideally, you should prune your trees between late autumn and spring, when the tree is dormant. Be sure to hire a certified arborist or tree care professional to ensure proper pruning, as improper cuts can damage your tree.
Mulching And Insulating The Root Zone
A layer of mulch around the base of your tree helps insulate the soil, keeping it warmer during the winter months. Mulch also acts as a barrier against harsh winter winds, preventing soil erosion and conserving moisture. However, it’s essential to mulch correctly – don’t pile it up against the tree trunk as this can cause rot. Spread a layer of mulch in a circle around the tree but keep it a few inches away from the trunk.
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Identifying And Addressing Winter Pest Threats
Winter pests can be a menace to your trees. Insects and diseases can take advantage of the tree’s weakened state during the colder months.
Regularly inspect your trees for signs of infestation or disease. If you notice any issues, contact a professional arborist to address the problem effectively.
Tree Care Tips FAQs
Want to know more about preparing your trees so that they remain healthy and structurally safe over winter? We’ve answered some top questions below.
If you’re local to us in the North West of the UK and would like to arrange a visit to your property from one of our tree experts please get in touch.
Do You Cut Trees In Winter?
Winter can indeed be an ideal time to prune trees. During the colder months, trees are dormant meaning any pruning done during this time will be less stressful on the tree.
What Tree Can Survive In The Coldest Temperature?
One of the most cold-tolerant tree varieties is the larch (genus Larix). If you’d like to explore other varieties suitable for your garden or commercial grounds, we offer a tree planting service.
Which Plants Need Frost Protection In The UK?
There’s quite a large list of plants which require frost protection, so be sure to contact us if you’d like help maintaining your residential or commercial garden across Greater Manchester.
In general, we recommend looking out for young plants and moving any container plants to a more suitable spot. Likewise, any plants not classed as hardy will be more susceptible to frost damage.
Trees can also require protection in the winter as they can be damaged by cold weather and harsh winds.
What Is The Best Cover To Protect Plants From Frost?
We’d recommend investing in tree fleeces or jackets to protect your trees whenever frost is forecast. An added tip is to mulch around the base of the tree with a thick layer of organic matter which will also help prevent the ground from freezing.
Scott Davies Tree Surgery – Discover Our Manchester Tree Care Services
Are you based in Greater Manchester in areas such as Bolton, Eccles, Manchester, Salford, Swinton, Pendlebury or Wigan?
The Scott Davies Tree Surgery team can provide a range of tree care services across the winter season and beyond. Alongside tree planting and emergency tree work, we can also help maintain the health of your trees through our professional tree pruning, pest detection, mulching and wrapping services.
To get a free quote for any of our tree services please give us a call on 07853 582 444 or fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.