Evergreen trees are tough cookies, no doubt, but since they don’t drop their leaves (needles), they continue to photosynthesize all year, which means they need resources! Throw in some winter winds and salt from the roads, and your trees will need a lot more protection than you might think.
Winter burn occurs when an evergreen runs out of water and dehydrates over the winter, causing the needles to turn brown and drop in the springtime. Between the dry winter air, windy blizzards, and even sunny days that promote growth, your evergreen will use up a lot of its stored water over the winter. The best way to prevent winter burn and ensure that your evergreens have the best chances of success in the spring is to help bolster their water supply early on and give them some added protection from the elements.
Keep your evergreens safe this winter with just a few simple steps:
Just like you need a winter coat to keep your body warm, evergreens—young ones in particular—can also benefit from a little warmth! To keep their roots warm, lay down a generous layer of mulch, at least three inches, around the base of your evergreens but not right up to the trunk; this extra barrier between the roots and the snow goes a long way for your plants!
Burlap is your evergreen’s knight in not-so-shiny armor. Young trees, in particular, need extra protection from the dry winter air and the snow and salt off the roads! If your trees are a little too big to wrap up but need protection from the salt, you can create a barrier around the base of the tree with burlap to catch some of the salt sprays. Once spring arrives, water the area around your evergreens thoroughly to flush away any excess salt that remains so that your tree doesn’t absorb it.
If you have any new evergreens, staking is a great way to provide a little extra physical protection and support, especially during winter storms! Carefully drive two wooden or metal stakes into the ground on either side of your evergreen, and tether it with rope or twine. Be careful not to tie it around the tree too tightly, as it still needs to be able to grow and bend a little.
Just because your deciduous trees are dropping leaves doesn’t mean it’s time for a full stop on your evergreens! We recommend watering your evergreen as you normally would consistently until the ground freezes, usually around mid-November; this creates a water supply around the root system and in the plant that it can use through the winter and provides an extra boost in the spring. Think of it like a squirrel storing nuts for the whole winter, but your tree is storing water! If you’ve already disconnected your hose, use a 5-gallon bucket to give them lots of water.
You can continue to water throughout the winter to support their growth. While this might seem counterintuitive, your evergreens are still busy photosynthesizing, which means they still need water! Watering generously until the ground is frozen will help, but you can continue to water through the winter, especially on sunny days. Be careful not to get water on the branches!
Evergreens are still transpiring through the winter, meaning they’re still photosynthesizing and releasing water vapour into the air like in the summer. One of the best ways to ensure that your tree doesn’t suffer from winter burn is to slow or reduce transpiration by using an anti-desiccant spray, such as Wilt-Pruf. Wilt-Pruf is organic and biodegradable, making it a safe product for your garden. It creates a protective coating on the leaves or needles of the evergreen but won’t interfere with its natural processes and growth.
For more resources and information on winter protection for your evergreens in Ontario, visit Royal City Nursery!
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