How to Protect Trees and Shrubs from Winter Weather


We know what you’re thinking. Don’t trees and shrubs hibernate for the winter? Why should we worry about them from our cozy couch beneath three blankets?

They seem sturdy enough. But Idaho winters are brutal.

Why do trees and shrubs — which seem pretty sturdy — need so much protection? Keep reading to learn more about how winter weather attacks trees and shrubs, including:

When it’s 13 degrees and blustery, would you head outside without your warm gloves, coat and hat? You’re under three blankets right now and you’re inside.

snow covered branches

Your trees and shrubs need some winter protection, too.

How to protect your trees and shrubs for winter? Protect plants from deer with tree guards. Use tree trunk wrap. Turn to burlap for shrubs. Add a cozy layer of mulch. Use safer ice melt products.

Sunscald

The bark of young trees is susceptible to sunscald. Sure, it’s winter, but plenty of sunny days can dry out and burn bark, causing permanent, visible damage.

Water can also freeze under the bark at night and thaw in direct sunlight the next day, splitting the bark.

Sunscald can weaken trees and make them more susceptible to pests and disease. The damage can also create entry points for insects.


Young trees with thin bark, such as honey locust, linden, sugar and red maples, beech and flowering crabapples, are most susceptible to sunscald.

What to do about winter tree care to prevent sun scald? Tree trunk wrap.

Wrap the trunks of young trees with paper tree wrap.

This also protects against frost cracks, which happen when dark bark heats up in the sun then quickly cools off in the chill of night.

Structural Damage from Heavy Snowfall

Snow looks light and fluffy, but its weight adds up.

Heavy, wet snow can break the branches of trees and shrubs. Evergreens like junipers and arborvitae, as well as trees with weaker branches like some elms and maples, are especially at risk.

  • Remove snow regularly, especially after every two inches of accumulation. Gently remove snow with a broom.
  • Install a protective cage or snow fencing around vulnerable plants
  • Proactively prune large or damaged branches
  • Tie the branches of soft shrubs and conifers into a cone shape before it snows.

Protecting shrubs from heavy snow means keeping an eye on accumulation and clearing off excess as soon as possible. 

Freezing and Thawing

Winter can be fickle. It alternately freezes and thaws, heaving new plants out of the ground and leaving their tender roots exposed.

Also, when a sneaky midwinter thaw hits, plants are tricked into waking up. That tender new growth is vulnerable to the next freeze.

Snow_Leaf_(24861441)-min

What to do?

Bring on the mulch.

You might think about mulch only in the spring, but it’s a great way to protect shrubs in winter—kind of like those three blankets you keep on the couch to keep you cozy.

Add four inches or so of bark mulch around the base of your shrubs and trees for a layer of toasty insulation.

This will help the soil stay frozen, to prevent heaving during freeze and thaw cycles.
Pro tip: keep the mulch a few inches away from trunks to prevent rot and discourage critters from chewing. Which brings us to…

Animal Munching

Hungry mice and rabbits love tender young bark. It’s like that chocolate cake you sneak to the kitchen for after bedtime.

Tree guards, made of plastic or wire, protect plants from deer. They can be found at a garden center or hardware store.

Do deer love browsing on your hedges and shrubs? Wrapping shrubs in winter with burlap will deter munching.

Winter Burn

Dry winds and winter sun can dry out conifer needles and broadleaf evergreen foliage. The fancy science name for this winter burn is desiccation, and some targeted winter tree care can help.

Desiccation happens when a plant loses water faster than its roots can replace it. It can happen when the ground is frozen and the plant's roots cannot absorb water from the soil or when cold temperatures and high winds dry out foliage.

WinterIzed

Evergreens are most susceptible to winter burn. They lose moisture faster than their roots can replace it from the frozen ground.

If you have evergreens in windy, exposed areas, consider building a windbreak to protect them from drying winter wind as part of your winter tree care.

Wrapping shrubs in burlap in winter can keep their needles healthy. It also helps protect them from damage from road salt sprayed by passing plows. Which brings us to…

Salt and De-Icer Damage

Salt and de-icer can really do a number on landscaped areas near walkways, parking lots and roads.

Salt and de-icers can damage plants in several ways:

  • Salt spray can burn plant leaves and foliage, especially evergreens
  • Salts can dry out plant leaves and roots
  • Salt can change the soil's chemistry, making it harder for plants to absorb water and nutrients
  • Plants can absorb salts, which can build up to toxic levels

Protecting shrubs in winter includes shielding them from harmful salt. How can you protect plants from salt damage? Use less damaging products for your snow and ice management.

Snow-Removal-IdahoFalls-

Outback Landscape uses an ice melt mixture that’s less corrosive than straight rock salt and friendlier to the environment.

Concern for the environment is a huge reason to move away from straight rock salt as a de-icer.

Yes, salt melts ice, but it seeps into area waterways and creates a hostile environment for wildlife.

Salt Brine as an Alternative to Rock Salt

You may have heard about brine, one of the latest arrivals to the ice melt scene. Brine is a liquid mixture of water and salt. Crews spray it on pavement before a storm moves in, and it helps prevent snow and ice from sticking.

But salt is bad, right? Brine uses just one-quarter of the amount of salt as traditional rock salt, so it’s better for the environment and your landscape plants that might come in contact with it.

Need Winter Tree and Shrub Care? Trust Outback

At Outback Landscape, we know you have a lot invested in your trees and shrubs. Don’t let the wrath of winter do them in.

Need help with winter tree and shrub care or professional snow removal in Boise and Idaho Falls? Give us a call. Then, you can rest easy under those three blankets.

Located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, we serve residential and commercial properties in Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho, as well as Bonneville, Madison and Bannock counties. Contact Outback Landscape at 208-656-3220, or fill out the contact form to schedule an onsite consultation. We’d love to hear from you.

Get Started Today

Image Source | Snow Covered Branches, Snow Covered Leaves