~From Roots to Shoots~

Helping Them Survive and Thrive All Year Round

With winter just around the corner, now is the time to get your trees ready for harsh weather. A few simple measures can be taken to protect your evergreen trees from damaging wind, snow and ice over the winter months.

• Assessment: Each fall it is a good idea to have a Shreiner certified arborist visit your property to visually inspect your trees for any pre-existing conditions or structural damage that may effect the tree’s potential for long term success.
• Fertilization: Fall fertilization ensures that soil nutrients are at optimum levels when spring arrives. Slow-release fertilizers remain available in the soil until spring, when trees and shrubs begin pulling nutrients out of the soil for their first flush of growth.
• Pruning: Conducting routine maintenance pruning and deadwood removal on your evergreen trees will improve their structure, allowing them to perform at their best in your landscape. External limb reduction reduces the chance for limb failure during storms and ensures the lasting beauty and form of your evergreen trees.
• Cabling and Bracing: In some cases, installing steel cables, guy wires, stakes or bolts can assist in supporting a tree’s structure.

Here are common species of evergreens that benefit from periodic shaping:

• Trees: Norway Spruce, White Pine, American Holly, Cryptomeria, White Spruce, and Arborvitaes
• Shrubs/Hedges: Skip Laurel, Yew, and Arborvitae shrubs

When pruning evergreen trees, you first want to remove all the potentially hazardous and aesthetically unpleasing deadwood. This will maximize the safety and overall visual performance of the tree. Additionally, it is very important to manage the tree’s lateral growth and overall size through pruning and shaping. When this is done correctly, the tree’s structure can better manage and distribute the heavy external loads from natural elements. This pruning also encourages a stronger and denser canopy when spring arrives.

Well maintained evergreen trees can persist longer in a landscape than if they were not cared for. By conducting this pruning on a regular basis, you are able to manage the size and function of these trees, making them suitable for a location that otherwise would not accommodate a full-size tree.

Evergreen trees can be a beautiful spectacle with winter’s snow blanketed over them and when properly cared for, they can become a majestic focal point in your landscape year-round!