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If you plan to do some winter tree planting, start your preparations early in the year. Otherwise, you could encounter some setbacks during winter.
Trees and their seasonal care
Summer is the best time to prepare for winter gardening. Trees have to be sufficiently watered and fertilized depending on how warm the weather gets and how fertile the soil is. Watering lessens in early fall and again increases during late fall to compensate for the water which needs to be stored by plants in preparation for the cold winter months. Water can hardly seep through frozen ground, and moisture will easily be lost with the drying winds.
Although the ideal time to plant trees is in late summer and early fall, there is no reason for you not to do any sort of gardening in winter. You can do some planting, as long as the soil is not frozen over. One setback to succeeding at winter tree planting would be that winter-grown trees will basically be dormant, and they will find it difficult to establish new roots in frozen soil. Another would be that you can hardly do a soil test to check on moisture and drainage, because the ground usually thaws only in spring.
Trees which grow in winter
There are, however, species of trees which can withstand extremely cold temperatures. They are usually shade tolerant and thus, do not need much sunlight to grow. They are also tolerant of high pH ranges such as 7-8, dry alkaline material, and frozen, nutrient-deficient soil. You would be glad to note that among the trees which grow in winter are the green ash and white ash, honey locust, arbor vitae, and many varieties of maple and berry. The Colorado blue spruce and Ponderosa pine are also very resilient winter trees.
How to plant for winter trees
Your care for young winter trees starts the moment they are transported from the nursery to your home. Despite the additional cost, invest in their prompt and safe delivery. Their leaves and needles should be covered and protected from strong wind and drying frost.
Plant them in much the same method applicable to most other trees. The main difference would be that you would not have to mulch, fertilize, and prune them during winter. It would be advisable, though, to stake them for support against the wind.
When you choose a site for winter tree planting, always remember that the southeast side of your home is warmer and less windy than its northwest side. Your trees would, therefore, be better protected and sheltered if they lay more to the south.
Effects on winter on trees
The sudden, warming effect of sunlight on a cold winter day causes the bark of young trees to crack in a phenomenon known as sunscald. Maple, honey locust, and other trees with thin barks are susceptible to it. Evergreens also tend to turn brown when the sun and wind combine. These conditions are preempted during fall by wrapping soil banks and burlap coverings over the lower trunk up to the first lower branches.
Winter brings animals like deer, rabbits, and mice which feed on young trees. Building fences and using repellent sprays are the most common preventive measures against these forms of damage.
Winter tree planting does bring some setbacks, but they are nothing but challenges to a skilled and hopeful gardener.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about winter gardening and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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