Winter Tree Care

Michigan's severe winters are well known to cause damage to trees across the state. The sun, wind, snow, and ice in winter can injure the tree through exposure to the elements. The salt on the roads and sidewalks can cause long-term harm to trees that can't resist that stress. On top of all that, deer and rodents can be incredibly destructive during the food shortages winter brings for them. Despite how impossible it may seem, there are steps we can take to protect our trees from the long winter months ahead.

The stems of a tree go dormant quicker than the roots, and the roots are less resilient to cold than the stems. The roots of most trees in Michigan can die when soil temperatures reach 0 – 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In prolonged cold, the protection of the soil may not be enough. For the best safety, ensure the ground around your trees is moist and not exposed to the cold air. Preparation for winter in fall is the best protection method, but snow acts as an excellent insulator in a pinch. At a balmy 32 degrees, it can help protect against harsh temperatures.

Rodents and deer can cause damage to trees, chewing on different parts they can reach, and can easily injure or even kill small trees. Rodents will primarily burrow and chew on roots, where trees store sugars over the winter. An excellent way to protect against this is to surround the tree with a wire mesh, curled into a tube, and buried an inch or so into the ground. Plastic tree shelters buried to a similar depth will also work for smaller trees. Deer are more persistent, so foul-smelling repellents are better suited for this situation. Repellants also will work for rodents if applied to the base of trees and if there are too many trees for mesh or fencing to be a reasonable financial decision.

Heavy snow can destroy by snapping branches and risk your safety. Trees with multiple leading branches and trees in clumps are the most at risk. Proper pruning to eliminate weak branch attachments will reduce snow and ice damage. For trees with large wide-spreading leading branches or large multi-stemmed trees, you can secure trunks through a process called "cabling" by a professional arborist. Cabling is when you drill a hole through the wood of the main stems and secure metal cables to them for additional structural strength. This work is entirely preventative, so if you're worried your trees may snap under the weight of heavy snow, get the job done before the worst snows come!

Although plant cold hardiness and winter injury are common concerns associated with Michigan's winters, appropriate species selection, site selection, and preventive maintenance will help your trees endure harsh weather. Do you want to learn more about managing your trees over all seasons? If so, District Forester Ben Savoie can provide on-site assessments and professional referrals to manage your woods at no cost.