Save the Trees and Wrap Your Tree
You put a lot of time and effort into your trees, and we all know they aren’t easy to grow. The harsh Edmonton winters can ruin all your hard work and leave you feeling disappointed. The best thing you can do for your trees with thinner bark, such as maples and fruit trees, is to do a tree wrap for winter. Consider this like a blanket for your tree and a protective vest to safeguard the tree you have cared for and loved for years.
Our Edmonton arborists will explore all the reasons why you should be doing this for your trees and some of the best methods to make sure it’s done right. Tree wrapping for winter doesn’t have to be as complicated as it may seem. Keep reading from Trusty Tree Services to find out how it’s done and why!
Why Should I Tree Wrap for Winter?
Tree care is essential to the longevity of your tree, and giving them the protection they need is just a nice thing to do for them, especially if you don’t want to remove a dead tree in the spring. Wrapping your tree helps to moderate the temperature and prevent damage to the bark. So, what are the other reasons why you should do a tree wrap for winter?
Protection
The biggest reason for your decision is to avoid damage to your tree and protect it from a few elements. You might have heard of sunscald or “southwest injury,” as some people call it. This happens in the winter months when the sun is shining, but the snow remains, and the temperatures still drop. Your tree cells become activated due to the sun in the daytime, but the drop in temperature at night causes these cells to freeze and die, damaging the tree bark.
Similar to sunscald, your tree can also suffer cracks due to frost, which results in a drastic drop in temperature at night. The winter weather can cause your bark to expand and, therefore, crack, which weakens the tree’s structure. To protect the integrity of the tree, it’s best to do a tree wrap for winter.
Healthy Growth
You take great care of your tree, and of course, you want to have healthy growth. When you do a tree wrapping for winter, it helps to promote the healthy growth of your tree by reducing the stress from the harsh winter.
No Pest Zone
It goes without saying that your tree is a prime feeding ground for pests, especially in the winter. Rabbits, deer, and rodents tend to gravitate towards trees to nibble on when they need something to eat. A tree wrap is like a barrier to prevent pests from causing damage to the thin bark.
Ready to Wrap?
Consider it an arts and crafts project, but it’s so much cooler because instead of macaroni art all over your kitchen, you get to protect that sweet little apple tree of yours. There are a few steps you’ll want to follow when preparing to do a tree wrapping for winter.
You will need the following tree wrap materials:
- Burlap or Paper-based wraps (most are treated to be water-resistant)
- Twine
- Plastic tree guard
You will want to do the following steps to properly wrap your tree:
- Start at the base: Start at the soil line and wrap the burlap around the tree. Make sure to slightly overwrap the wrap material to prevent gaps. Make sure to wrap upwards.
- Height matters: Make sure to wrap up the first set of branches. For young trees, it is important to wrap a bit higher above the first set of branches.
- Secure the wrap: Use your twine to wrap the burlap or the paper-based wraps.
- Extra protection: Plastic tree guards can also be set around your tree to prevent pesky animals from gnawing on the trunk.
- Inspect: Occasionally, you will want to check your tree to ensure everything is still wrapped tightly. If you don’t prefer twine, any material made of natural fibres that can wrap the tree will do.
When Should I Start Wrapping Trees?
You don’t want to wait for the temperatures to drop too much, but you also don’t want to start too soon. It’s all about finding that balance, which can be challenging with the unpredictable Edmonton winters. Keep an eye on the weather to make sure that the snow won’t hit when you’re getting ready to do a tree wrap for winter. Late fall is always ideal, but you can start earlier if there is an early snowfall.
If the weather starts becoming too warm, it’s time to remove the burlap tree wrap. However, you will want to ensure that there is no risk of frost before removal.
It’s important to know that as your tree grows, so does the tree’s trunk. The wrap may constrict the tree too much and cause issues. If you’ve noticed your tree has grown, you may need to make some adjustments.
Additional Tips to Care for Your Tree During the Winter
You can do other things to protect your trees besides doing a tree wrap for winter.
- Mulch the base: Adding mulch to the base of your tree can provide a layer of insulation to the roots and help the soil retain moisture. If you spread the mulch out a little further, it can also prevent rot.
- Avoid dry spells: While you can’t control the weather, you can control the water your tree gets when there is a dry spell with no snow. Your tree may need some help by giving it water during these dry spells.
- Prune with care: Avoid pruning your tree too much in the late fall or before snow hits. Open wounds in your tree can cause frost damage.
Need Assistance? Trusty Tree Services Can Help!
Trusty Tree Services is here to help when you need extra tree protection or are unsure of what to do. We can help with a variety of services to protect the trees you love and also provide maintenance for them as well. We can gladly assist you with tree cabling, tree planting, tree removal, and more!
Winter tree care is critical in ensuring you can protect your tree during those harsh winter days and nights. Wrapping a tree is an important step, especially if the bark of the tree is thin or if you have an adolescent tree. Making sure you protect the bark is important, and wrapping adds a layer of protection that you need.
Don’t let the harshness of winter discourage you; call us today to get assistance from our tree professionals!