The First Cold Day

It’s getting cold, 
but it’s not yet a freeze, 
what in the world, 
do I do with my trees?

Do you feel that?  The chill in the air?  It’s cold outside.  Now where did we store those sweaters last year?

On days when you get that first sense that winter is around the corner, you may be concerned about your trees and other landscape plants.  They are valuable, we take care of them, and they do so much to make our yards, patios, and balconies beautiful.  We don’t want anything to happen to them.  We want to do what we can to make sure they make it through the winter.

You may have heard about different things you can do when temperatures fall below freezing for your plants and trees.  You may also be wondering why you should wait.  If it’s cold, and you know it’s only going to get colder, you may be wondering what you can do now to get ahead of things.

Don’t worry.  We’re here to help.  We have some simple steps you can take before that temperature goes below thirty two, and we call them the 3 ps: plan, prepare, and protect.

Plan

The first p is “plan”.  Now is a great time to make a plan for how you will protect your trees and plants.  You can ask yourself questions like, what kinds of trees and plants do I have? What zone do I live in?  What’s the hardiness of the plants and trees I have?  Do I have a space to bring potted trees and plants indoors?  What might I need to buy to protect my trees and plants?

One thing you can do is take your smartphone or tablet (or clipboard, paper, and pen if you’re old school) and note what trees and plants you have.  You can note the general sizes, and anything special like if a tree might look damaged, or if some potted trees or plants you have might require a dolly to move.

At ArborTrue, we have certified arborists who can help you with planning through an arborist consultation.  They are knowledgeable and experienced and can help you to come up with just the right plan for the trees in your landscape.

Prepare

Once you have your plan, the next p is “prepare”.  There are a number of things you can do to help prepare for freezing temperatures before they arrive.  It’s cold, and more cold is coming.  Now is a great time to prepare.

One thing you can do to prepare is to set aside an indoor area for your potted plants that you might have to bring in if temperatures fall below freezing.  This might be in a foyer, in your garage, or on a covered porch.  Preparing now can help you save time later.

Another thing you can do is go shopping.  Who doesn’t like shopping?  There are a number of things you can buy in preparation for freezing temperatures.  These include things like extra mulch for your plants, plastic sheeting and things like braces or stakes for covering, and maybe a dolly if you don’t have one to move trees in pots or larger potted plants.  By shopping now, you can avoid the rush and have things ready.

Another step you can take is to regularly check the weather.  Know when a freeze will come and how long it will last.  You can check the forecast for days in advance and be ready before things happen.

Protect

The last p is “protect”.  Once freezing temperatures come, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your trees and plants.  This includes watering, adding mulch, covering sensitive plants and trees with plastic, and bringing plants indoors during freezing temperatures.

There are also steps you can take to protect your trees before a freeze arrives.

One great idea is to do any necessary tree trimming.  By removing dead, diseased, or damaged branches, you can take steps to help your trees before freezing temperatures, and possible ice and snow, affect them.

Another idea that you might consider is tree cabling and bracing.  This is for certain situations where a tree needs added protection to prevent damage to branches that might arise from things like ice or snow accumulation or other considerations.  This is something best left to professionals like those at ArborTrue.  Give us a call at 832-980-8733 so we can help.

Lastly, when freezing temperatures do arrive, and if there is some impact to your trees, there are a couple of things you can do to prepare.  First, don’t worry.  Sometimes freeze damage can look worse than it is.  Trees are resilient, and they can bounce back in ways you might not expect.  Second, for those situations where you think there may be more of an impact to some of your trees, it is important to know who can help.  The professionals at ArborTrue can help with freeze and frost recovery and we can take steps to help your trees recover.

It’s cold.  You felt it that moment you walked out the door.  Winter may not be here yet, but it isn’t that far off.  Now is a great time to plan, prepare, and protect the trees and plants you have.  By taking a few simple steps (and finding where you stored those sweaters last year) you can do your part.