While the leaves may have fallen off the other trees in your yard, your evergreens will be flourishing. Such a wintertime staple, the evergreen is the perfect tree for the season. They can last all year long, especially during droughts and harsh conditions. By properly caring for them during the winter, your evergreens will keep up their beauty and luster. Now that we’re entering into the winter months, make sure you care for your evergreens and other landscaping in Denver. It’s also important to know when to call in experts too that can help your lawn stay beautiful.
Evergreen Maintenance
During the winter, evergreens can be susceptible to winter burn. This is when the tips of their needles turn red or brown, or just fall off altogether. It occurs for a variety of reasons—one due to the large temperature dips in the evening, leaving the tips to freeze. Another reason is because of photosynthesis. Evergreens will gather energy then release water. If unable to replace that water due to the ground freezing, winter burn can occur. To help avoid this, you can water your evergreens in the winter. It also helps to wrap them. By reviewing the guide “Winter Tree Care in Denver: Trunk Wrapping,” you can learn why this method will help all of your trees and shrubs. It also helps to keep your evergreen trees in areas of the yard with a full range of sunlight.
As the winter months roll by, monitor the health of your evergreen trees. If evergreens are negatively impacted by the drop-in temperatures, you may notice cracks in the bark and other areas of the tree. This is an issue wrapping the tree can fix (if the evergreens are small). You can discuss with your neighborhood arborist to see if you need to take any additional precautions. Also, while dehydration is not as likely in evergreens during the winter, it can happen. Over the winter, watch the color of the trees. If you have used a synthetic mulch, it can be the root of the problem because it prevents water from penetrating the mulch and into the soil. Make sure to use an organic mulch in the future. Last, you may also notice damage due to critters in your yard. If you find there is damage, invest in repellents to prevent further damage.
Additional Winter Maintenance
Denver is home to cool season grass, which is a type that can handle freezing temperatures, as well as warm ones. To aid in their vitality, you must fertilize your soil before the first freeze of the season. To also help your lawn, keep debris such as leaves or twigs, lawn tools, or other items from sitting atop the grass for too long. This includes parking vehicles in the lawn that can damage the grass. If you have plants outdoors, potted plants should be in larger containers. You also need to continue to give them water. For these and other planted shrubs, bushes, and more, make sure to wrap them just like you have for your evergreen trees. This will serve as an insulator to help retain heat and protect them from the elements. Watering of your lawns on warm days will also reduce the amount of spider mite activity in full-sun, sloped areas. (Don’t forget to water your trees/shrubs/perennials too!)
For your evergreens and other trees in your lawn, consider adding an anti-desiccant to them. This is a spray for their leaves that will help them retain water as the temperatures drop.
It is also important to monitor your lawn in the late winter to early spring for snow mold. As the snow melts, this problem can occur, causing you to see a grey or pink mold in your grass. Each are different and have negative effects on your lawn. If you find this in your yard, be sure to work with your local landscaping company to restore it back to life.
Spring Preparation
Throughout the winter months, make sure you have your checklist ready for spring to keep your evergreen trees healthy. In March and early April, examine your trees to see if any of their needles are browning, or if the tree looks distressed in any way. To help bring them back to life, they must receive fertilizer. While organic fertilizers are best for evergreen trees, you can work with your local arborist to find the perfect fertilizer. You can add fertilizer anytime through the summer, but ideally, the sooner the better. Aim to have your evergreens fertilized by the beginning of April. Ask your local arborist if a deep root fertilization is best for your trees. This type of fertilization places the fertilizer deep within the ground, ensuring it gets to the roots of the tree. Trunk injections can also be applied to help with nutrition, as well as combat disease and insects.
You will also need to add pruning to your spring checklist. When you inspect your tree after the winter look for any dying or diseased areas. Damaged branches will need to be pruned. Prune using a thinning method to remove the dead or injured areas. Make sure you do not prune all the way to the center of the branch as it can hinder future growth. A guide to successful pruning, pruning evergreen trees will help you learn the best technique to encourage growth.
Calling in the Experts
If you are experiencing your first winter in a new house with evergreens, or are looking for ways to ensure your plants make it through the winter, calling on an expert will help. An arborist will look at your current situation and tell you of any warning signs or areas to improve upon. From there, they will provide you with the tasks that need to be done, as well as areas they can work through to keep your trees and plants healthy. This is a great asset for the overall value of your home.
For an expert you can trust to make sure your evergreens and plants survive this winter, contact American Arbor Care. We have been a trusted source for tree care in Denver for over 20 years. From lawn care and landscaping, to trees and shrub pruning, we have you covered. Call us today at 303-639-8584 or email us at lita@americanarborcare.com to see how we can help.