Taking care of your tree in winter is especially difficult the first time around.
But with time, the inevitable arrival of the cold winter weather is something that both you and your tree can be prepared to take on.
While the winter season also brings lots of joy, fun and love through the holidays, the harsh change in temperature definitely does not go unnoticed.
Piercing winds, freezing rain, heavy snow, frigid temperatures… To say the least, the change is quite dramatic and it’s always best that you stay prepared.
While older trees are likely well adapted to the Canadian climate, younger trees are faced with a greater challenge, with more requirements for winter preparation and more risk of getting damaged from winter’s generous gifts.
Preparing Trees For Winter
When it comes to preparing your trees for winter, there are a lot of measures that you can take, especially for younger trees.
To briefly list them, these preventative measures include watering, mulching, pruning and installing tree guards or wraps.
For more details on mulching, read our article on how to properly use mulch around your trees.
As tree experts, the most important preparations we recommend you do is protect the trunks of your trees. Tree trunks can get severely damaged during winter due to the constant fluctuating temperatures, known as sunscald.
This is especially important in a climate like ours in Ottawa, where winter temperatures go as low as -30 °C and as high as 3 °C. With these subzero fluctuations, sunscald is extremely likely to occur. If you’d like to prepare your trees for winter but don’t know where to start, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
Caring for Trees During Winter
On another note, caring for your trees during the winter months is completely different. In this scenario, the ground is likely frozen, and the cold winter weather is in full effect.
To ensure that your trees are in good health during the winter months, be sure to occasionally check for cracks in your trees, and to prevent snow from piling up all around your trees.
For young trees and bushes, preventing snow piles is crucial as it can put too much weight and strain on the branches, causing damage.
These said snow piles can also lead to further drainage problems, especially if the spring ahead happens to be a rainy season.
And last but definitely not least, if salt is something you use on your driveways and roads in the winter months, be sure not to shovel this salty snow near your tree. Salt is extremely harmful to trees and is in fact known as an effective way to kill a tree.
Professional Tree Care & Arborist Services in Ottawa
If you need tree care advice or hands-on help before or during the winter season in Ottawa, you can count on Croft Tree Experts.
With certified arborists and forest technicians on staff, we know exactly how to help with your tree care needs. If a tree or tree branch cracks, breaks or falls in the winter months, give us a call.
As Ottawa’s leading emergency arborists, we’re always just one call away to help when a tree damages your home, swimming pool, fence, car or blocks your driveway.
Contact Croft Tree Experts to get started with winter tree care and more.