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Preparing Your Tree for Winter 

Whenever the freezing winds blow and you are heating yourself up by the fire, you should not neglect your trees. Your trees certainly require a couple of preparatory things before the cold winds rise.  

In appreciation for the generous shade these trees offer you all summer and spring, you should provide them a leg up in their fight against the worst weather this season.  

Winter is an excellent time to provide your trees a bit of additional attention, even if you live in a place where winter days aren’t that severe.  

Before you hire the best tree service  for your regular tree maintenance, here are several things you can do to prepare your tree for winter.  

Wrap the Trunk 

The term utilized for the damaged caused by shifting winter temperatures is “Sunscald”. 

The cells of the trunk can come out from dormancy and become active due to the warm winter sun. However, conductive tissues and active cells are killed whenever temperatures drop below freezing again. This will cause damage that might result in unappealing scarring.  

You should wrap the trunk using a light-colored crepe paper wrap to prevent sunscald. You should certainly do this with the saplings. You should start wrapping from the trunk’s base all the way up to the bottom set of branches. Make sure you overlap layers by 1/3. Whenever winter is over, you can get rid of the wrap. 

To reflect the sun, several individuals paint their trunks white. However, you’ll end up having unappealing white trunks.  

Water 

Before the ground freezes, you should water your tree properly across the fall season. This is particularly true when it comes to saplings. Water can provide insulation to the tree. In addition to that, moist soil has a tendency to stay warmer compared to a dry one. Thus, watering can help protect the roots of your trees as well. 

More Mulch 

The soil will contract and expand because of the repeated thawing and freezing. This can heave newly planted trees out of the soil and damage the roots.  

You should insulate the roots to keep a more constant temperature in the soil. In early winter or late fall, you can add 2 up to 3 inches of mulch around the tree’s base. This will also help in lowering moisture loss.  

Since the base still needs to breathe, you should be careful not to pile mulch against the trunk directly. You need to make sure that the mulch resembles closely a donut instead of applying it in a volcano shape.  

Prune  

If you ensure that they’re clear of deadwood and are pruned well, you can provide your tree a healthy start this winter. Cable, brace, or trim them to offer stability if there are branches or limbs that might pose a threat to your walkways or property.  

Keep in mind that there are still several things you’ve got to do when winter finally arrives. If you are a busy person who does not have any extra time to take care of the tree, you can always count on a tree cutting companies for help.