The Essential Garden Task That Protects Your Cherry Tree In Cold Winter Temps

Congratulations — your temperature-sensitive cherry tree (Prunus spp.) survived the sweltering heat of summer. Now it's time to help it thrive this winter. With cold weather rapidly approaching (hello, frosty mornings), it may feel like the perfect time to store away your garden supplies for the year. However, your cherry tree disagrees. While a bit of cold weather goes a long way in ensuring a spring full of those tasty fruits you love, it's important that you don't neglect one essential garden task that can protect your cherry trees when cold weather turns to freezing: mulching.

Overall, cherry trees can be easy to grow. However, there is one thing to keep in mind: Cherry trees need specific growing conditions and can be sensitive to the surrounding temperature and climate. During summer, they like a balmy 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Come winter, a cold spell of 32 to 45 degrees isn't just acceptable but often required for a healthy growth cycle. But even so, you want to ensure your cherry tree's roots stay safe. Taking the time to mulch the base of your tree and provide a cushy blanket for winter can make the difference.

Because there can be some potential drawbacks to mulching if done the wrong way, it's important to learn the proper way to mulch your cherry trees in the winter. Here are some tips to get your garden winter-ready and encourage healthier cherry trees.

When mulching cherry trees in the winter, there are a few factors to consider, like timing and placement. But before you can dive into the mulching process itself, you want to clean up the area around your cherry tree. This means raking up any leaves around the tree and cleaning up any fallen fruit. Leaving fruit to rot around fruit- or nut-producing trees is one fall yard cleanup mistake that will attract rodents.

Once you're ready to break out the mulch, it's important to decide what type of mulch you want to use. Mulch can come in many forms: wood chips, compost, bark, straw, or even shredded and mulched leaves. Timing also plays a role. You'll want to provide your cherry tree with adequate protection before cold spells settle in your area, but you can also refresh the tree's mulch later in the season to keep the benefits extending into spring.

As for placement, there are many common mulch mistakes that can lead to problems like pests, diseases, or rot. While you want to establish a layer of mulch around 4 inches high, it's essential to leave space between your mulch and the base of the tree. By giving your tree some room to breathe, you can reduce the likelihood of pests nesting there. Plus, when mulch sits against the base of a tree, the moisture can soften the bark, which increases the risk of rot and disease.