You may be enjoying the mild winter weather in Denver the last few months, but have you considered the impact it is having on your trees and plants? With no measurable snowfall since early October, the Denver area is experiencing one of its driest winters on record. While residents may not be facing a drought situation themselves, their plants and trees are feeling the impact.
What a Dry Winter Does to Your Landscaping
The metabolic rate of trees slows in the wintertime, allowing them to survive during the colder months. Still, they continue to use water to stay alive through a process called transpiration. But when the soil becomes dry due to a lack of precipitation, those healthy trees must make some budget cuts to their system to support life. This can include reducing the number of roots and branches that they support. Of course, this can reduce a tree’s ability to soak up water from the soil even harder, causing “winter kill” of its branches.
While this is all an annual process aimed at protecting the tree, it can put it at risk of insect attacks, fungal problems, bacterial infections and other serious issues come spring. In the worst cases, this downward spiral can become a death spiral from your favorite trees.
What Can You Do to Protect Your Trees?
The absolute best way to protect your trees from serious damage this winter is to, of course, water them regularly. Simply use a sprinkler or a hose to give the ground around the base a good soaking, allowing the water to seep deep into the ground for a few hours.
But that isn’t the only thing you can do to ensure that your trees stay strong and healthy, despite this season’s lack of precipitation. The experts at The Natural Way are ready to come out and protect your plants and trees with these proven to work well methods:
- Anti-Desiccant or Anti-transparent Spray. Evergreen and semi-evergreen trees respond well to this waxy coating that helps the leaves and needles retain more moisture. Designed to limit moisture loss but keep proper gas exchange, these sprays offer a protective moisture blanket for trees on your property without introducing them to harmful chemicals.
- Root Zone Probes. All kinds of plants respond well to this basic procedure, which involves injecting water and organic matter into the root zones of plants and trees under pressure. This helps to create — and maintain — pore spaces that the plants can use to retain water, especially when the ground remains relatively dry.
Specializing in organic plant care and tree health, the expert professionals at The Natural Way make it a priority to offer the most compressive and safe horticultural lawn care aimed at safeguarding your landscaping under any environment. Email or call us with your winter watering tips and let us help you keep your plants thriving during the winter.