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How To Prepare Your Trees For Winter

By: Impeccable Landscapes       November 23, 2016

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There’s no doubt that winter is on its way to the Spokane area. Temperatures have dropped and there’s lots of precipitation. While it may be falling in the form of rain now, it won’t be long until it becomes snow, ice, and sleet.

As your trusted tree and shrub care specialists in the Spokane, Liberty Lake, and Spokane Valley areas, Impeccable Landscapes wants to remind you that it’s a good idea to think about your trees before winter hits. Just like you double check your tire tread, ensure you’re stocked up on ice melt, and replace that rickety shovel before snow falls, you should also consider getting tall tree service in preparation for winter.

Keep reading to learn more about winter’s effect on trees and contact Impeccable Landscapes for a FREE tree service estimate today!

Ways Winter Weather Can Damage Trees

Yes, trees look beautiful when their branches are covered in fluffy, white snow. But did you know that plummeting temperatures and precipitation can have a negative effect on the health of your tall trees?

  • Cold Stress – In the winter, days can sometimes be sunny and warmish, while the temperature drops dramatically at night. This rapid changes can place stress on your trees, causing frost cracks or something tall tree experts refer to as “southwest injury.”
  • Drought – Trees need water all year long, but it can be difficult for them to draw moisture up from a frozen ground. For this reason, some trees experience a “winter drought” during which they lose more water than they absorb.
  • Rodents – Without much food to forage on, rodents can sometimes much on trees during the winter. Deer, mice, rabbits, and squirrels are all prone to eating trees when their cupboards run bare.
  • Branch Breakage –  Between heavy snow and fierce winds, tall trees often suffer a lot of branch breakage during the winter. It’s also true that deciduous trees become harder and more brittle in the dry winter air.

So what can be done to combat these winter tree problems?

If The Trees Are Mature…

Get Them Trimmed/Pruned – This is especially important if you haven’t yet had your trees and shrubs trimmed this year, and can go a long way toward reducing branch breakage. Call the professional tree trimming experts at Impeccable Landscapes for an appointment today.

Wrap The Trunks – Thin-barked trees are especially vulnerable to sun scald and frost cracking. Wrapping them in commercial tree wrap up to the first branches can help prevent this damage from occurring.

Lay Mulch – Two to four inches of mulch applied around the base of the tree (but not against it) can help protect your trees against winter drought and insulate the root base against extreme temperatures.

If The Trees Are Newly Planted…

Irrigate – You’ve probably had your sprinkler system blown out and winterized by now, but if you have young trees, you should continue to irrigate them right up until the point it snows. If there are winter thaws during which time the ambient temperature allows water to penetrate the soil, consider watering again.

Stake – Young trees tend to be top-heavy, with branches springing up from a relatively thin trunk. Protect your young trees against breakage by staking the trunk. This will help them to remain strong during stiff winds.

Protect From Rock Salt – “Salt interferes with a tree’s fine roots, inhibiting their ability to absorb the things a tree needs: water, nutrients and oxygen,” explains Bayer Advanced. Be very careful with salt applications during the winter, avoiding areas where rock salt can affect the roots of new trees.

Impeccable Landscapes Provides Tall Tree Service All Winter Long

Whether you’d like assistance with any of the winter preparations listed above, or have a tree that gets damaged at some point this winter, don’t hesitate to contact Impeccable Landscapes for tree trimming, pruning, tall tree service, or removal.

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