How to prepare trees for winter

To protect trees from winds, frosts, and pests in winter, you need to do complex work, including proper care. You should start in mid-summer and finish work with the onset of winter.

How to prepare trees for winter

Among the main works necessary to prepare fruit trees for winter are: timely fertilization, proper watering, treatment of trees, the use of protective equipment against frost and pests. At the same time, there are differences in preparation not only for different varieties of trees, but also for trees of different ages.

When to water and feed trees

Starting from mid-summer, reduce watering and fertilizing (nitrogen fertilizers) so that the tissues of fruit plants ripen well during the preparation of trees for winter. Weeding and loosening the soil during this period is also better not to do. In autumn, fertilizers should be applied to the soil – organic or potassium-phosphate. Depending on the age of the tree and the amount of precipitation that fell in September-October, it is necessary to pour from 10 to 80 buckets of water under each tree. The above work will strengthen the root system of the tree, as well as protect the soil from freezing.

Pruning and treating a tree

Sanitary measures to prepare trees for winter include removing diseased and dry parts of the tree and spraying trees with protective solutions (ferrous sulfate). In order for the effectiveness of this procedure to be maximized, it is better to do it in dry weather. Particular attention during this period should be paid to the condition of the trunk and main branches. Even minor damage to the trunk impairs the metabolism of substances that go from the roots to the crown, and severe damage can lead to the death of the entire tree. The damaged bark has depressed dark spots of various sizes and shapes. If severe frosts occur after pruning trees, the bark can slide, exposing the wood. In this case, such a bark must be tightly bandaged.

All cut branches must be burned.

The main types of damage to the trunk and skeletal branches in winter are freezing, sunburn, damage to the bark by rodents.

Autumn digging of the soil around the tree trunk and protection against freezing of the lower part of the trunk

Autumn digging of the soil is done so that the pests that hibernate there (cherry fly pests, codling moths and fruit sawfly) die.

Due to severe freezing of the trunk, the tree loses frost resistance, which can lead to a slowdown in growth and a decrease in yield.

How to protect a tree from freezing?

To protect the lower part of the trunk from freezing, autumn hilling of the soil is done. For hilling, the time of work is very important. Hilling should be done only with the onset of stable frosts, when a small frozen crust forms on the soil. It is removed and the tree is spudded with non-frozen soil (to a height of 30 cm). It is necessary to remove the soil in the spring in layers, as it melts. In pear and apple trees, freezing damage ranges from light gray to black, depending on the degree of freezing. The wood and bark of the peach turn black due to severe frost damage.

Whitewashing a tree trunk

Crystal clear winter air allows solar ultraviolet light to pass through. In addition, in the winter-spring period, many trees suffer due to daily temperature fluctuations, when it is warm in the daytime, and frosts begin at night. Such a temperature swing leads to the appearance of moisture, which turns into ice at night, tearing the fibers of plants. To protect the plant from temperature fluctuations in winter, we whitewash the trunk of the tree. Whitewashing the trunk and main branches of fruit trees with lime mortar will protect trees from sunburn and also from pests. The white surface of the trunk reflects direct sunlight and therefore the tree trunk is more resistant to temperature fluctuations in winter.

Protection of the tree trunk from rodents

Hares are the most dangerous for the trunk, but field mice also create a lot of trouble, especially for young plants. Tree trunks can be wrapped with spruce branches, protective net or other means. It is also advisable to remove fallen leaves and branches, because this is a favorite place for many pests. In preparation for winter, it is worth tying the crowns of annual fruit trees to protect them from breaking off in case of possible freezing.

How to protect the garden from rodents

Garden care in the fall.

To prevent mice from moving under the snow, it is useful to trample the snow around the trees around the perimeter of the site. Compacted areas of snow are an insurmountable obstacle to the advancement of field mice.

An effective means of rodent control is the use of poisonous food. In specialized stores, you can buy ready-made drugs to combat mice.

Removing plant debris and debris from the garden is an important rodent control measure that will reduce their protection.