Some people might not know this, but the winter season is extremely hard on the trees on your property. It can be difficult to see your trees sustain damage in the winter. When you know the different ways that your tree can be damaged by the winter months, it can help you prepare your trees as much as possible to hopefully, keep the damage at a minimum. Arbor Improvements is here to talk about the different ways that your tree can be damaged by winter.
What Happens when Trees Get Too Cold in Winter?
Surprisingly, your trees can be damaged by much more than ice and snow in the winter. Following are some of the different ways that trees can be damaged:
– Cold Temps: While the cold temperatures aren’t the biggest threat to your trees in the winter, there are some trees that struggle when the temperature dips too low. There are times when the frost that is present with freezing temperatures is even harder on the trees that the temperature itself.
– Fluctuations in Temperature: Even harder on your trees than freezing temps is large fluctuations in temperature. When the weather goes from warm to freezing cold over and over again, it can put quite a lot of stress on your tree. While you might think that a sudden dip in temperature, when the temperature rises suddenly it can also cause damage to trees. The biggest problem is sunscald.
– Winterburn: Sometimes, the weather can burn your trees. If you have noticed that the tips of the branches went from green to brown, it is probably Winterburn to blame.
– Frost: Like mentioned above, frost can cause damage to your trees. In fact, it can cause cracks in the trunk which can be detrimental to the tree. This is a problem that happens often to oak trees.
– Heavy Snow: There are some severe storms that will cause heavy snow and even ice to settle in on your trees. Even if your tree is the perfect picture of health, snow and ice that is heavy enough can cause branches to break. You can remove snow from trees using a broom when you’re worried about the added weight.
– Salt Damage: Many people will use salt to keep their sidewalks and driveways clear of snow and ice. When you aren’t careful, the salt can make its way to the roots of your tree and can cause damage. It can lead to branch and root damage.
It is important for homeowners to be careful with their trees during the winter. If you notice that there is heavy snow on your tree’s branches, find a way to carefully knock it off. You should also make sure salt doesn’t come in contact with your trees as well. If you are worried about how to care for your trees, you can turn to Arbor Improvements to inspect your trees and ensure they are strong and healthy. Call us today!
