3 Tips To Prepare Trees For Winter Weather

As leaves begin to fall from the trees, you know winter is on its way. Now is the time to protect them from harsh winter weather so they don’t become damaged and die. With these three tips, you can prepare your trees so they remain healthy.

Insulate the Roots

If your trees are still young, you need to insulate their roots by covering them with mulch. Mulch can be bought at garden centres or you can make it yourself from natural materials like wood chips, yard compost, or straw. Spread the mulch around the entire root system before the temperatures start dropping in the late fall. The mulch will also deter weeds from growing and retain moisture.

Have Trees Pruned

Some deciduous trees, those whose leaves drop off in autumn, need to be pruned in the late autumn or early winter. Dead or dying branches can be removed or the tree can be trimmed to keep branches off the roof of your house. If you’ve never pruned a tree, one of the Bristol tree surgeons can examine them and prune the trees when appropriate to ensure their continued health.

Apply Tree Guards

You can keep your trees from receiving winter damage by wrapping their trunks with tree guards. The trunks of trees can become warm on sunny days in the winter, but when night falls, they don’t adjust well to the drop in temperatures. Tree wraps reflect the sun’s rays to keep the trunks from warming up and they also serve to protect the bark from rabbits who may feed on them during late fall and winter.

Protecting your trees will keep them from becoming frostbitten when the temperatures start dropping in the late fall. In addition, if you need to trim your trees, late fall or winter is the best time to have them pruned.