Now is the ideal time to prepare for winter by tidying your yard and protecting your trees and shrubs in advance of the cooler weather. Tree care undertaken before the mercury starts to drop can protect trees from dry conditions and damage, as well as help prepare you for the next year’s season. Here we look at 5 tips to help you care for your trees and shrubs and prepare your garden for winter.

Light Tree Pruning

Tree pruning and thinning of branches before winter can help to reduce canopy weight and the stress on your tree for when temperatures drop and sunlight is reduced. Trees often can’t sustain the rapid growth they put forth in summer, so light tree trimming before winter can help to maintain tree health and vitality and prevent dropped branches. Pruning and thinning foliage in trees and shrubs helps to make best use of diminished sunlight in winter.

Mulching

Mulch has a multitude of benefits for trees and shrubs, and mulching in winter can produce some of the greatest advantages. Mulching protects trees and plants from drastic temperature changes, insulates roots, and provides vital nutrition to the soil. Mulch also helps your soil to retain moisture and controls weed growth around your trees. Your local arborist can deliver mulch to your door for easy use in your yard, or you can keep your own mulch after removing a tree.

Cable and Brace Weak Spots

Colder winter temperatures, less sunshine and reduced soil nutrition can be hard on trees, and these conditions place more pressure on weak branches. Cabling and bracing can help to support weak branches through difficult conditions, so call your local arborist for an inspection. A professional arborist can swiftly and accurately ascertain the stability of your branches, identify weak spots, and apply expert cabling and bracing where necessary.

Nourish the Soil

Winter is a time where nutrients in the soil can be more difficult for tree and plant roots to access, and the soil nutrient levels can be depleted. Nourish the soil in fall by applying mulch and fertilizer while the weather is not yet cold, in order to build up nutrient stores deep in the soil. Before the cold weather sets in, it’s also the ideal time to water deeply to prepare the soil and your trees for winter.

Remove Problem Trees

Dead or dying trees can often cause issues in winter, as storms and bad weather can knock them down causing damage to people or property. Be sure to have the trees in your yard and around your house inspected by a professional arborist to check for disease and pests, and have any dead or dying trees professionally removed. Undertake stump grinding to remove all traces of dead trees and prevent tree diseases being spread through your yard.

Winter can be a hard time on your trees and shrubs, but good preparation for the cooler months can help your yard stay beautiful and healthy until spring.