Winter Damage on Evergreens

Remember the winter damage on evergreens last spring? Winter injury is not caused by merely being cold. It is caused by cold winds and winter sun drying out the needles on mainly the south and west side of the tree. The condition is aggravated by winter thaws and getting cold again. This can also injure the roots of newly planted evergreens.

To help your evergreens thru this rough time, there are a couple of things we can talk about. Do not prune unless you are afraid of that branch coming down on the house in an ice storm.

The most important thing to do is slow water each tree before the soil freezes up. Since evergreens transpire moisture year long, it is important to have moisture in the soil. This is especially true for plants close to the house that does not get normal moisture.

If you are trying to grow broadleaf evergreens, wrap the shrub with burlap to cut down on winter transpiration.

For newly planted trees, mulch with 3 to 4 inches of straw or hay after the ground freezes. This helps insulate the soil, so it stays frozen to prevent the soil heaving. Keep the mulch away from the trunk to prevent rodent damage.