When winter comes, this is a time when most trees are going to go dormant. This is a period of time which will last for several months. It is during these months that you must make choices in regard to how to help your trees when the following year comes. Trees are not able to care for themselves, and you can do this for them. This comes with pruning, trimming, and providing proper amounts of fertilizer. Watering is also essential if you happen to live in a drier climate. Here are a few tips on how to prepare your trees for the winter.
When Should You Start Pruning Them?
You should definitely consider pruning your trees in late December, waiting no longer until the end of January. The reason is that they are still dormant, and even though you may see buds on the branches that remain, they are not going to be harmed. You are simply removing excess branches that will take additional nutrients from the tree, something that is necessary if you have a fruit tree that is going to be producing thousands of different pieces of fruit. You are improving the tree significantly by pruning on a regular basis, but there are many other things that you need to do.
Adding Fertilizer During The Winter
the second thing that you should do is add fertilizer. The most important type of fertilizer is that which contains nitrogen. However, if you do have fruit trees, you will want to add phosphorus and potassium as well. These nutrients are necessary for fruit trees because of how they develop. These are not necessary for evergreen trees like pine trees or oak trees. In fact, the larger that they are, the less fertilizer they are going to need, but they are going to need proper watering and compost.
Add Water And Compost Before Spring Arrives
Compost and water should be added to the base of the tree before spring arrives. This is because it will need a blast of nutrients going into its system in order to kickstart its ability to grow and survive. This can also enhance the immune system of the tree by adding these components. If you are in a drier climate, more water will be necessary. Just make sure that you are not flooding the roots of the tree as this could lead to root rot at some point in time.
If you are the type of person that likes to care for your trees, these strategies can be implemented very easily. However, if you would prefer not doing this yourself, you can always find an arborist that will be more than happy to do all of this for you. It is an investment that many people do not make, but it can extend the life of your trees indefinitely. Find out more about local tree trimmer is an arborist, schedule an appointment, and look forward to healthy trees in the coming year.