How to care for trees before winter time

The cold winter months are a critical element of a tree’s life cycle. Even if deciduous trees loose leaves in the fall, this dormant phase essentially provides a significant purpose-namely the rebirth of crucial energy reserves for the next year’s growth. The natural winter dormancy of lots of trees, along with the increased presence when leaves are gone, would make winter a good time for pruning and trimming of not only trees but shrubs

Today we will talk about what homeowners in Brooklyn, NY can do to prepare their trees for the winter season.

Pruning

The concept behind typical pruning would be to boost the growth of a healthy branch structure and to get rid of any kind of branches that have been ruined or present disease. Crossing twigs and branches that are crowded together can be eradicated. On the other hand, it isn’t encouraged that you trim the tree yourself because if a cut is made mistakenly, it will not recover and eventually result in damage to the tree, or could contract a disease. It can also be challenging to predict how a pruning cut will impact future development. 

Mulch

Using branches, leaves and twigs for mulch is good, but you should never overdo it. A thin covering of mulch shields the soil and the roots just like a warm blanket. An excessive amount mulch, or poorly positioned mulch, however, may suffocate plants while attracting unwanted pests such as rodents and grubs.

Staking trees for the winter time

Now could be the best time to take away stakes, examine growth, and re-stake when required.

Weeding, Garden Cleanup, and Soil Screening

The winter months are a great time to deal with weeds. This could also be an excellent time for general lawn cleanup, particularly just after stormy weather has left branches scattered around your lawn. If you noticed issues in the recent growing season, you might also need to think about reseeding your soil. 

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