Our long, New England winters can really do a number on trees. More often they’re left bare, exposed to the elements and in addition to dealing with the usual riff raff, have to deal with dry, moisture-less air for much of the season.
In recent years, people have begun to get better about wrapping their trees in the winter in order to not only protect them from the cold, but also give them a better shot at bouncing back successfully once Spring hits. As this has happened, we’ve found ourselves fielding the question of whether or not people should wrap their trees. What trees need wrapping and which ones don’t we need to worry about?
That’s the question that we’ll try to answer for you today, so let’s jump right in.
In recent years, people have begun to get better about wrapping their trees in the winter in order to not only protect them from the cold, but also give them a better shot at bouncing back successfully once Spring hits. As this has happened, we’ve found ourselves fielding the question of whether or not people should wrap their trees. What trees need wrapping and which ones don’t we need to worry about?
That’s the question that we’ll try to answer for you today, so let’s jump right in.
Do they really need the protection?
If you have newer trees with younger bark then we’d absolutely recommend that you wrap your tree as they stand to receive a hefty benefit from it. Why is this? Because when the sun comes up every day, it warms the tree’s bark. When it goes down, the temperature drops quickly and that sudden temperature change can cause dead tissue and cracks in the bark. We arborists call it sunscald. When you wrap your tree- that’s what you’re protecting it from.
Believe it or not – evergreens can also suffer from sunscald, but in a slightly different way. Their needles soak up the sunlight but when the temperature drops it’s the needles – as opposed to the bark – that becomes the part of the tree that takes the beating – often leaving them dried out and brown.
So what should I use?
It’s probably best to wrap your tree with a plastic tree guard – particularly if you have a tree that has thin bark, is newly planted or loses its leaves in the winter. For evergreens, you’ll want to use burlap instead – especially if it’s chronically weak, exposed to places where there’s heavy winds or excessively dehydrated.
Anything else worth knowing?
Another benefit to wrapping your trees is that they’ll be protected from animals like deer and nibbling rabbits. These wraps are usually made out of heavy burlap and metal mesh chicken wire. In the winter, food sources are at a premium for animals, and they’ll frequently nibble at bark – exposing the tree to the elements. This leaves the door open to all sorts of bad possibilities from dehydration – to infection and infestation. Wraps prevent this issue from occurring.
And finally, wraps help protect trees from being splattered with salt from driveways and walkways. De-icing materials are extremely damaging to the bark of a tree – and can even lead to death in a few extreme cases. Protecting trees from those winter time necessities is important.
If you are interested in getting your trees wrapped or aren’t sure if you should or not, feel free to give us a call. We can come and give you a free consultation and quote. Good luck!
If you have newer trees with younger bark then we’d absolutely recommend that you wrap your tree as they stand to receive a hefty benefit from it. Why is this? Because when the sun comes up every day, it warms the tree’s bark. When it goes down, the temperature drops quickly and that sudden temperature change can cause dead tissue and cracks in the bark. We arborists call it sunscald. When you wrap your tree- that’s what you’re protecting it from.
Believe it or not – evergreens can also suffer from sunscald, but in a slightly different way. Their needles soak up the sunlight but when the temperature drops it’s the needles – as opposed to the bark – that becomes the part of the tree that takes the beating – often leaving them dried out and brown.
So what should I use?
It’s probably best to wrap your tree with a plastic tree guard – particularly if you have a tree that has thin bark, is newly planted or loses its leaves in the winter. For evergreens, you’ll want to use burlap instead – especially if it’s chronically weak, exposed to places where there’s heavy winds or excessively dehydrated.
Anything else worth knowing?
Another benefit to wrapping your trees is that they’ll be protected from animals like deer and nibbling rabbits. These wraps are usually made out of heavy burlap and metal mesh chicken wire. In the winter, food sources are at a premium for animals, and they’ll frequently nibble at bark – exposing the tree to the elements. This leaves the door open to all sorts of bad possibilities from dehydration – to infection and infestation. Wraps prevent this issue from occurring.
And finally, wraps help protect trees from being splattered with salt from driveways and walkways. De-icing materials are extremely damaging to the bark of a tree – and can even lead to death in a few extreme cases. Protecting trees from those winter time necessities is important.
If you are interested in getting your trees wrapped or aren’t sure if you should or not, feel free to give us a call. We can come and give you a free consultation and quote. Good luck!
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