Take Steps at Home to Prep for Winter Tree Care
It’s crazy to think how quickly this year has flown by! In just a blink of an eye, Halloween is already here, and preparations for holiday festivities have begun.
The leaves are turning and falling, making way for the chilly winter air. While the frigid weather typically causes the trees to go dormant during the winter months, there are still steps that you can take to protect them from the harsh environment that winter brings. Taking good care of your trees now will help ensure they are healthy and ready to flourish for the upcoming spring.
This may sound overwhelming, but luckily, you’re not alone. Our team offers an extensive list of tree services in the Lafayette, IN area that will help you get your trees squared away for the winter.
Start Early
While winter tree care sounds like it should be saved for the winter months, getting ahead in the late fall season before the ground freezes will serve you well.
Regular watering during the fall will make a huge difference in how your trees fare this winter. This is largely due to the fact that damp soil is much more efficient at holding in heat, allowing the roots to better combat the frigid temperatures. However, water also helps insulate the plant cells of your tree, therefore thorough watering during the fall months will ultimately help the plant cells better defend themselves against the cold.
Mulch Is Your Friend
Another way you can get ahead this fall is to lay down a thin, 2-inch at most, layer of mulch around the base of your tree.
Mulch helps regulate the temperature of the soil surrounding the base. This is especially important in climates where winter temperatures can fluctuate dramatically—which we are definitely not strangers to here in Indiana. Constant freezing and defrosting of the soil can be detrimental to your tree’s roots, which will lead to further problems down the line. When placing mulch around your tree, refrain from piling mulch against the trunk, and focus your efforts around the base.
If you live in a colder climate where the ground is mostly frozen all winter, wait until the soil has already frozen before laying down mulch. Otherwise you may attract critters that will cause even more problems than root damage.
While these are the main activities you can do yourself to prepare for the cold weather, our team offers plenty of important services such as thinning and pruning that will help prime your tree for healthy development throughout the winter. Ready to get started? Contact us with all of your Lafayette, IN tree service needs.
Defend Against the Snow
The idea of fluffy white snow nestled among the branches warms our hearts with nostalgia at the thought of a white, fluffy, winter wonderland. While we love the holiday spirit as much as the next person, too much snow can weigh down the branches, putting excess strain on an already weakened tree.
This is especially true for younger trees with smaller, weaker branches. Gently clearing off the snow after a heavy fall is the best thing you can do to help take the weight off the branches, but it certainly does not hurt to get a photo or two before doing so!
While snow is the most obvious culprit for weighing down branches, excessive ice buildup can be just as bad. But be careful—the last thing you want to do is attempt to snap it off, or you may take the entire branch off with it. If at all possible, it is better to take warm water from a garden hose and run it over the ice to try to melt it off.
Hold the Salt
Snow and ice on the branches does not even compare to the damage that can be caused by the salt used to melt it. While we understand that melting snow and ice is a safety necessity, there are certain steps you can take to ensure that it won’t harm your trees. If you are in a position where you can control what type of snowmelt is being used, we recommend using one that is free of sodium chloride which is typically found in rock salt.
Sodium chloride greatly impacts your tree’s ability to absorb nutrients. Instead, try snowmelt products that contain calcium, potassium, or magnesium chloride.
Need Some Help? Get Expert Tree Services – Lafayette, IN
Take steps now to keep your trees healthy through the winter, give Wildcat Creek Tree Service a call at (765) 404-0938 or fill out a form to get started on the path to better tree care.