One of the best parts about fall is appreciating the beautiful color changes on the trees and shrubs. In order to make sure the trees and shrubs in your Massachusetts yard show off their fall colors this year and for years to come, you need to make sure they are healthy and able to withstand the upcoming weather changes. Even though winter is still a few months away, it’s important to start preparing your trees and shrubs for the colder temperatures. There are several critical steps to maintaining your trees and shrubs this fall, and the Plant Health Care Program from Sea of Green Lawn Care can make sure your plants look great and are well-prepared for the winter.
Make Sure Your Trees and Shrubs Have Plenty of Water
Although the hot summer weather is over, your trees and shrubs will still need lots of water to make sure they can survive the harsh winter conditions. For trees that keep their foliage even in the winter, like evergreen trees, proper hydration is particularly crucial in the fall. Knowing when to stop watering your plants is also important. After a few weeks, you can stop watering your plants early in the season in order to prompt the plants to prepare for the winter. This will restrict new growth that won’t be able to tolerate the colder temperatures. After your trees and shrubs have lost all of their leaves and before the ground freezes, you should do one last deep watering to make sure your plants have all the moisture they will need for the colder months.
Replenish Your Mulch
Another important step to prepare your trees and shrubs for the winter is to add a new layer of mulch around the base of your plants. Mulch helps to protect and insulate the roots of your trees and shrubs from cold winter temperatures. Any type of mulch works well, but you can also save some money and a trip to the store by reusing shredded or mulched leaves you have raked up from your yard! Just be careful not to place mulch too close to the trunks of your plants, as this can cause diseases and rot to infect your trees and shrubs.
Plant New Trees Or Shrubs Or Relocate Existing Ones
Spring isn’t the only season to add plants to your lawn and garden! Fall is also a good time to plant new trees and shrubs or to relocate plants to another part of your yard. You can do this until around one month before the ground typically freezes.
When moving shrubs, try to get up as much of the root ball as you can, and transfer it to a hole that is about three times bigger than the size of the root ball. If you do add any new trees or shrubs, it’s also important to think about deer protection.
During the fall deer will rub their antlers on tree trunks, which can easily damage the thinner bark of young trees and prevent the tree from transporting vital nutrients throughout the cold winter months. The thin bark of young trees is also susceptible to scalding by the sun, but adding a tree wrap or a guard can help to protect your plants.
Trim Your Trees and Shrubs
One of the most important steps of fall garden maintenance is to trim your deciduous trees and shrubs. Pruning trees can help you get a specific shape for your plants, but also removes overgrowth and encourages better, healthier growth in future seasons. You should only trim your trees or shrubs after a plant has gone dormant and has lost all its leaves. If you prune your plants too early, you could cause the plant to produce new growth that won’t survive colder conditions.
Think Ahead To Future Seasons
Winter weather and temperatures can be hard on trees and shrubs. If you have new trees or shrubs with fragile branches, consider covering them with a small lean-to or other structure to protect them from heavy snowfall or ice. Another problem trees and shrubs face in colder temperatures is water loss. A great way to protect your plants is with an anti-desiccant treatment for your evergreen trees and shrubs. These spray treatments give plants a protective layer that helps retain moisture and reduce water loss in the winter. Additionally, applying a few dormant oil treatments can help to make your trees and shrubs healthier in the spring by regulating overwintering insects like aphids and their eggs.
Protect Your Trees With Sea of Green’s Plant Health Care Program
To make sure you can enjoy your trees and shrubs for many years to come, contact Sea of Green Lawn Care and ask about the Plant Health Care Program. You can contact us via our online contact form, or give us a call at 978-465-8788.
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