Grapevine’s Winter Tree Care Services: Preparing for the Cold

While Texas might be spared from the long, harsh winters common in northern states, it’s still important to prepare trees for the colder months ahead. With some preparation, homeowners can ensure their trees make it through the winter with minimal stress before blooming again in the spring. Here are some tips for winter tree care in Grapevine, Texas.

Mulch Around Trees

Image via Pexels by Yan Krukau

Before winter arrives, homeowners can spread a layer of mulch around trees or top off an existing mulch bed. According to the Texas Trees Foundation, this proactive step can help to insulate a tree’s roots. The foundation recommends creating a layer of mulch that’s 1 to 2 inches thick. With this layer of insulation, a tree is better protected from potential damages caused by drastic changes in temperature.

In addition to insulation, mulch can provide much-needed moisture, especially during a dry winter. To ensure this moisture doesn’t attract fungi and insects, extend the mulch layer around the entire base of the tree, not just the trunk.

Water Trees

For those with newly planted trees, it’s essential to develop a watering system to ensure they receive enough moisture. New trees need to receive consistent watering until they fully develop their root systems. That means even in the fall and winter, new trees require watering if no rain occurs.

The Texas A&M Forest Service recommends maintaining a watering schedule through October or even early November. After that, homeowners should plan to water their trees about one to two times each month throughout the winter.

Wrap Trees

During North Texas cold spells, trees can experience a condition known as sunscald. This occurs when the sun thaws a tree’s bark during the day until the cooler temperatures overnight freeze it again. It’s especially common in trees on the west or south sides of a home or building.

To prevent sunscald from occurring, homeowners can wrap tree trunks with products like tree wrap tape or tree guards, found in most home and garden stores. This type of material protects the bark from freezing and cracking. Wrap the bottom of the tree until it reaches the lowest branches. Remove the protective covering after winter ends and it no longer freezes overnight.

Prune Trees

Most trees go dormant in the winter, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require maintenance. Winter can be a great time to prune trees. Pruning involves removing dead or damaged limbs from a tree to facilitate healthy growth. In the winter, this maintenance can prevent those limbs from falling when high winds occur or an ice storm descends on the Grapevine area.

Before winter sets in, homeowners can hire an experienced arborist to examine the health of their trees and prune damaged limbs to prevent disease spread. At TreeNewal, we provide year-round professional tree pruning services in Grapevine and throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Prepare Your Trees for Winter in Grapevine, Texas

As winter approaches, don’t wait to prepare your trees for the colder months ahead. At TreeNewal, we can help with winter tree care in Grapevine. Contact us online or call us at 817-329-2450 to learn more about our tree care and maintenance services.