Tree Issues to Look Out for in the Winter

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Tree Issues to Look Out for in the Winter

As a landscaper, there’s nothing worse than heading outside to notice that your trees are looking like they’ve seen better days. It’s always important to keep in mind the time of year and how the weather can potentially affect your landscaping. Most trees tend to do well throughout the winter and won’t require any special attention. However, there is always the chance that your trees experience certain damages related to the winter weather. This highlights the importance of regularly heading outside and checking on your plant life throughout the winter.

Even the heartiest tree on your property can experience issues during the winter. The key to managing these types of issues is understanding what types of tree issues to look out for in the winter. That way, you can recognize issues as they are occurring and take immediate action to remedy the problem. We want your trees to survive the winter and come back stronger than ever in the spring, which is why we’ve created the following article to help out. Below, we are going to walk you through some of the most common tree issues in the winter to look out for. Remember that if you have any landscaping supply needs, connect with Cal Blend Soils for the highest quality products at the best prices.

Winter Tree Issue #1 – Cold Damage

If you live in a region where the temperatures drop heavily in the winter, it’s important to keep an eye on your trees. Cold damage is a common winter tree issue that can be tough for your trees to come back from. When the temperature in your area goes through a dramatic change from heat to cold or freezing temperatures, your trees are at high risk of cold damage. When trees experience stress from cold damage, their bark can end up cracking and even their inner wood can be exposed to damage. Your trees will also be vulnerable during the time when they are growing late in the season since new growth typically doesn’t have enough time to fortify before the winter arrives. Make sure you are heading outside and checking your trees for cold damage to avoid any serious consequences.

Winter Tree Issue #2 – Root and Trunk Damage

Any landscaper will let you know just how important it is to keep your trees roots and trunk un good condition. However, the winter can lead to direct damage to these important parts of our trees. If there is too much water around the tree roots, they can end up rotting throughout the winter. Your tree will slowly be deteriorating and might even experience plant diseases. This is obviously not a good scenario for your landscaping. Try to keep an eye on your trees whenever it rains and if you notice pooling water near the base of the tree, it might be time to reconsider the grading. Mulch is a great landscaping product you can use to help make sure that the water is able to drain away from the base of your trees. If you would like to purchase the best quality mulch on the market for the lowest prices, reach out to Cal Blend Soils today.

Winter Tree Issue #3 – Drought

We all understand how important water is for our plants, but sometimes we don’t realize that they can experience drought in the winter months. It’s a pretty common winter tree issue to look out for and can cause serious issues if you let it go unnoticed. When trees end up losing more water than they can absorb from the ground, they are literally starved for water. This is more common when the ground completely freezes, but it can happen in other situations as well. To avoid this, make sure you are watering your trees in the winter if your area isn’t receiving any rainfall.

Winter Tree Issue #4 – Animal-Related Damage

Another common winter tree issue to look out for is animal-related damage. Animals like rabbits, mice, and deer love to look for food in trees during the winter months. These animals are essentially in survival mode, so they will do what it takes if they think food is within your trees. Animals can bite your trees bark, twigs, and foliage in their search for food. You also want to keep an eye out for damage that occurs when deer are rubbing their antlers on the tree. There isn’t too much you can do to avoid nature running its course, but keeping an eye on your trees and recognizing when damage occurs can help you take action.

Winter Tree Issue #5 – Sunscald

Believe it or not, trees can get sunburnt just like humans do. When the sun is directly shining on the tree bark during the coldest days of winter, your trees can experience sunscald damage. The sun activates tissues within the tree and essentially tells them to grow. When the sun goes away, those tissues can be killed as the temperatures drop. You can usually recognize sunscald by deep cracks in the outer bark of your tree where the tree is exposed to the sun. Make sure you keep this winter tree issue in mind to avoid any serious problems.

If you are a landscaper, you need to stay committed to caring for your plants regardless of the time of year. Keep in mind that even the heartiest trees can be at risk to the issues mentioned above. Try to head outside at regular intervals to check your trees for any of the types of damage mentioned above. Otherwise, you could find yourself scrambling to replace your trees when the spring rolls around. We hope you make the most out of your landscaping this winter and remember that you can always head over to Cal Blend Soils to obtain landscaping products that can help you protect your trees in the winter like mulch.