Fall and winter storms can pose significant threats to your trees, from high winds that snap branches to heavy rains that saturate the soil and weaken root systems. Without proper preparation, these seasonal challenges can leave your trees vulnerable to damage or even complete uprooting, creating safety risks for your garden and property. Fortunately, with the right care and techniques, you can help your trees weather the storm and emerge strong. Here’s what you need to know about protecting your trees from fall and winter storms.
How To Protect Your Trees From Fall and Winter Storms
Why Fall and Winter Storms Are Dangerous
Fall and winter present a danger zone for trees in the gardening calendar. Trees must make it through different environments, often exposing them to hazards.
Gardeners should prepare their trees for potential impact as well as potential damage. Storms can cause weak branches to fall, or the wind could be strong enough to rip a tree out of its soil.
However, preparation can stop storms from being as much of a hazard to your landscape’s giants.
Prune Trees Before the Winter
Always prune trees before the winter. Some states have specific regulations on when gardeners cannot trim or remove their trees. Pruning presents a danger to the gardener in harsh winter conditions.
Prune your trees before winter days arrive. You’ll have much less to worry about at the height of winter. Falling, broken branches, and dead trees are dangerous during snow and ice storms.
The laws mentioned above are applied for everyone’s safety!
Shield New Trees From Heavy Snow and Ice
In their early growth stages, young trees can be temporarily “capped” or covered in preparation for big storms. Small trees might not survive the winter without the added protection. They can be torn out of the soil by the wind.
Not all trees are strong just yet, and gardeners might have a special few that they would like to protect against harm.
- Consider applying a layer of mulch around the tree trunk to insulate roots from frost.
- Wrap the tree trunk with burlap or a tree guard to protect the bark
- Water the tree before the ground freezes to provide moisture to the roots
Protect Against Cold
Cold can be harmful to many plants and trees, and simple shielding material that’s available at most gardening outlets can be enough to protect your precious plants from freezing temperatures.
Freezing temperatures might not affect some of the larger trees in the garden, but smaller trees are subject to snow and ice damage by the searing cold.
Shielding takes very little time to install and can make all the difference if the mercury is expected to drop.
Strengthen Their Base
A weak base is a dangerous element of winter. Trees that aren’t anchored well can come loose entirely. It presents a considerable danger for the tree and anything it might come into contact with.
Strengthen the trees at their base and ensure they are tightly packed enough to provide a foundation that’s harder to shake. Monitor the soil near the tree. This can help to prevent the wind from pushing a tree over.
Protect From Lightning Hits
Cables can be installed in higher trees to redirect any lightning hits and safely disperse them into the ground. This could be the difference between life or death in a storm: lightning can strike directly and might cause trees to break or fall. The apparent electrical danger that storms present in fall/winter means no landscape should be without this.
Use Cables for Added Strength
Heavy storms can push over large trees. Anchor trees with cables to keep them steady even in the heaviest wind. Consider cables for added strength depending on how bad the expected storms are for your area.
Multi-stemmed trees are also vulnerable to heavy ice and snow damage. They have weak points where the multiple trunks join. They may be more likely to split under solid storm conditions. Cabling or bracing these trees can be beneficial.
Monitor the Weather
Always watch the weather closely, and use an app to set alerts for your area. Knowing when storms might happen gives you a better idea of the maintenance your garden will need. You will be prepared for what might lie ahead.
For questions or concerns about how to protect your trees during fall and winter storms, contact your local tree service provider. A certified arborist near you can help.
Tree Services of Omaha – Tree Care Services
Tree Services of Omaha, Nebraska is a full-service tree care provider that offers a wide range of arborist services including but not limited to: Tree Removal Services, Tree Trimming, Tree Pruning, Tree and shrubs Shaping, Stump Removal, Stump Grinding, Emerald Ash Borer Treatment, Arborist Consultations, Systemic Tree Injection (Tree Healthcare).
Contact us today for a free estimate!
