How To Prepare And Protect A Newly Planted Tree During The Winter Season

Transplanting a tree in your yard can be traumatic for it. If you add the hardships of cold weather on top of uprooting, a newly transplanted tree may not make it through the winter. Recently planted trees lack the mature root structure and energy reserves that enable more established trees to survive less-than-ideal conditions. Natural seedlings typically have roots that spread much farther and deeper than those of transplanted trees. The process of digging up a tree results in significant root loss, making transplanted trees more susceptible to damage from diseases, insects, and harsh environmental conditions. 

In addition to avoiding the mistakes everyone makes when planting trees, such as planting them too deeply, you need to protect your young trees from the cold to increase the odds they'll emerge in the spring strong and healthy. To do this, you'll need to continue watering throughout the winter, provide extra support for moisture retention, and add protection along the trunk from animals, disease, and sunscald.

Your newly planted trees will need plenty of water throughout the winter. Water them at least every other week when there's no snow on the ground and the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to remember that trees with bigger trunks need more water. Measure the distance across your tree trunk from one side to the other, and give it 10 gallons of water per inch, pouring it all around the tree's dripline. This is the root area directly beneath its canopy. Allow the water to soak into the soil slowly with a soaker hose or the soft spray setting on your garden hose. Plan to water around noon so the water has time to soak into the roots before it freezes. 

Mulch around your trees to help them hold in moisture. But make sure the mulch isn't right up against the tree trunk, as this can cause rot. Instead, leave a little bit of space around the trunk. One of the best materials for mulching your tree is its own leaves. If the tree hasn't been in the ground long enough to have a plentiful leaf-shed, wood chips will suffice. Spread a layer of mulch around the tree that's no deeper than 3 inches.

A young, tender tree trunk is a tasty target for deer, mice, rabbits, and other animals during the winter. They snack on the tree's bark, depriving it of its natural protection from pests and diseases. Young trees with thin bark are also susceptible to sunscald, which occurs when the sun's heat generates cellular activity that's then killed by cold weather. Snow and ice, as well as the salt used to combat them, can also damage a fragile sapling's trunk. Wrapping your tree can protect it from all of these winter hazards.

Although aluminum foil can protect young trees from rodents, specialized tree wrap or strips of burlap are better options for harsh winters. Whatever you use should be breathable so the tree trunk can still get air, so avoid plastic or bubble wrap. To wrap your tree, start at the bottom of the trunk near the ground and wrap around the trunk, moving upward, overlapping a little with each wrap. Don't pull the wrap too tight, and stop when you reach the lowest branches. At this point, you can secure the wrap with a staple or tuck the end back into itself. Remove the wrap in the spring after the danger of frost is past.