Evergreen trees and shrubs are a great choice for any landscape! They add color – think greens, blues, yellows, and more – all year long, provide shade and help block the wind. But winter can take a heavy toll on your evergreens, so make this the year you plan to protect them from the wind, ice and snow with these tips.
Hopefully you’ve been diligent about watering your evergreen trees right up until the first frost. After the ground freezes, it’s nearly impossible for evergreens to get water. However, it isn’t recommended that owners fertilize these plants – it can easily harm or even kill your trees and shrubs.
Most evergreen trees really shouldn’t be pruned, either. You can cut back and shape shrubs, but take care not to leave holes in the structure of the plant. New growth can take a long time, and a hole might take years to fill. As a general rule, do any pruning after growth is finished in the fall. Making major cuts while your plants are still growing can cause shock and trauma that harms the evergreen.
Once the seasons change, a blanket of snow can protect your plants by insulating the soil, but too much piled on evergreen branches can weigh them down and cause breakage. Repeated damage can disfigure evergreens permanently. To avoid any splitting or breakage, most shrubs can be wrapped with burlap.
Shade cloth and burlap screens are also a great way to screen your evergreens from drying winter winds. This method works best for broad-leaf type shrubs with berries.
For trees that are too large to wrap, it’s recommended that you care for them during the winter by regularly knocking the snow from the branches. Start at the bottom and work your way upward so that falling snow doesn’t come down and add weight to already snow-covered branches.
Don’t try to break any ice, though, even if it’s causing the branches to bow. You can cause the very damage you’re trying to prevent. Instead, just let the ice melt and release the branches more gradually.
Protect bark from gnawing critters by wrapping stems and trunks with wire. You can also buy commercial tree-guard products.
If you have any questions about how to care for your evergreens, get in touch with a qualified landscape architect or landscaping service. We’re happy to give you the answers you’re looking for and help you to get the job done!