Caring For Dormant Trees

Trees are survivalists, as is all of nature. If anything begins to threaten them, they adapt or change. For trees in the winter, dormancy is the solution to conserving energy and surviving. What is dormancy? It is a period when the tree's physical life cycle is temporarily stopped to help the tree minimize metabolic activity. There are different types of dormancy.

One type of dormancy is called Predictive Dormancy, this occurs when a tree enters a dormant phase before the weather changes - for instance, before it begins to freeze or get cold. There is also Consequential Dormancy, this occurs when a tree goes into dormancy after outside conditions have occurred. Consequential Dormancy occurs often in places where the climate is unpredictable.

The life of a tree occurs in cycles. In early spring, as days begin to bet longer and the weather is warmer, the tree is pulling all of its energy together for growth. This is when a tree puts off its seeds. Some trees produce flowers, from which the seeds come, before the leaves come out in the spring.  These flowers produce seeds that ripen in the spring and fall to the ground and start to grow that year.  Other seeds ripen and drop off in the fall and lay dormant over the winter and start to grow the following spring. In order for any seed to sprout and develop it must have food, water, sunlight and warmth.  Until it gets roots, a stem above ground, and some leaves or needles, the seed uses the food stored in its shell to develop growth.  As roots go deeper into the soil they absorb water and minerals form the soil and send these up into the stem.
As the weather continues to warm and summer arrives, the tree begins to grow rapidly taking advantage of the long days and optimum sunlight. For most trees, growth ceases by late summer (early August). That is, the tree does not produce any more leaves after this time. From this point until fall, the objective of the tree is to prepare for winter. During fall, a tree stores up food and energy reserves everything that is needed for next spring's growth.
The shorter days, cooler temperatures and reduction in sunlight then stimulates dormancy in the tree. During dormancy a tree may look dead but it is far from it. It is only waiting for spring. Changing the conditions around the tree may alter the time of year that the tree goes into dormancy. Heavy watering and fertilizing in fall (September) may stimulate the tree to continue growing, but this is not recommended. Any new growth produced at this time of year will have little chance to prepare itself for winter, and will most likely die from winterkill.
As winter finally sets in, the tree will then become fully dormant. Trees still continue to slowly grow roots, respire and take in water and nutrients throughout the winter. Many dormant trees have to be protected to keep it free from disease and insects. Caring for your tree before it goes into dormancy such as pruning it in late fall will help form and strengthen your tree as well as encourage new growth in the spring. Pruning also minimizes storm damage.

Mulching your tree in the winter is also helpful to the tree as it protects its feeder roots. If you are in a region that receives a lot of rain or snow, you may also want to consider aerating the soil around the tree so it doesn't become waterlogged. It is critical not to damage tree roots in the soil as you do this so work only on those few inches at the surface crust. 

If you are in an area that receives little rain, be sure to water your tree throughout the winter. Your tree won't need as much water but nonetheless will need moisture.

A tree is a strong organism but can be stronger with a little help along the way, even in the winter.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

How Does A Tree Survive The Winter?

Have you ever wondered what happens to a tree in the winter months? Ansel Adams has made a living out of photographing the beauty of such trees; but what, truly, is going on inside these large pieces of nature?

Trees may look as if they are inactive going into winter, but they continue to regulate their metabolism. Early dormancy involves a number of factors: active growth, formation of buds, losing leaves and development of cold resistance. The buds of some trees have a winter chilling requirement for winter survival. Evidence from some experiments proves that chemical treatments immediately prior to the first frost may break winter rest for trees. So it is recommended that weed or growth killers for trees not be applied a few weeks prior to the temperature dropping to low levels.

As trees begin to lose their leaves, they are already preparing for the cold season. Leaves are a main source of light absorption, so trees must start building up a food and fertilization supply within the roots and branches to last throughout winter. This dormancy is triggered, in trees, by a number of factors: temperatures dropping, minimal nutrition gatherings and water supply.

Along with the naturally cold temperatures, excessive winds and ice that is all produced during the winter season, there are other variables that can determine a tree’s heath for next spring. As the temperature begins to drop, small animals such as snakes and rodents, are actively seeking winter shelters. Mass quantities of these animals within a tree can damage and even hollow a tree completely. Deer are also dependent on tree bark as a food source during the winter months. Paint-on repellents and mesh fencing can deter some of this activity, but trees may take an unhealthy turn when animals are consistently wearing on them.

Pruning a tree during late Fall can protect it from major branch breakage. As ice begins to build up on tree branches, the weight can often snap branches in half. Pruning dead or overlapping branches can strengthen a tree for winter. Even deadwood and ill branches should be removed and discarded of, for the health of a tree.

There are several dormant sprays that are available to protect your tree from Jack Frost. These sprays often contain copper, lime and sulfur. These protectants, with a nice top layer of mulch around the tree, may stop microorganisms from entering the tree. If sprays aren’t for you, there are several organic options to getting lime into the tree’s roots and base.

When it comes to your evergreens, be sure to keep them properly watered throughout the winter to reduce winter injury.. Never stress plants by under - or overwatering. Decrease watering slightly in September to encourage hardening off, and then water thoroughly in October until freeze-up. Watering only in late fall does not help reduce injury. If an evergreen has suffered winter injury, wait until mid-spring before pruning out injured foliage. Brown foliage is most likely dead and will not green up, but the buds, which are more cold hardy than foliage, will often grow and fill in areas where brown foliage was removed. If the buds have not survived, prune dead branches back to living tissue. Fertilize injured plants in early spring and water them well throughout the season. Provide appropriate protection the following winter.

Even though trees respond differently to winter stress and each winter provides a different set of stressful conditions, trees possess a remarkable ability to withstand extremely severe winter conditions.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.

Understanding When to Plant Baby Trees

Fall or winter time is a great time to think about planting baby trees. Most trees survive better if they are planted or transplanted while they are dormant. If you have baby trees, they may even look dead during this time. A small scratch on the bark of the tree should epose a green layer, reassuring you that the tree is, in fact, alive, but in a dormant state.
Trees enter a dormant state when the days shorten and sunlight is in short supply. They need to stop growing and producing during the fall in order to store energy and prepare themselves for winter. When you are taking care of your baby tree, keep this in mind. Heavy watering or fertilizing during the fall can force a tree to stay in its flourishing state and it will fail to prepare itself for winter. This can cause the tree to be intolerant of harsh conditions and die.
Once a tree is in its dormant state, it is fine to water it again to help it through the winter months. This is the best time to plant new trees or move existing trees. If you are growing a tree from a seed, then you will not see any growth in the winter. This is because germination only occurs during the sping. That gives the new seedling the best chance to survive the weather.
Seeds can stay dormant for a very long time if the conditions are not right for germination. There are two types of dormancy in seeds; External dormancy and internal dormancy. External refers to the seed coat or outer shell of the seed. This type of dormancy is common in fruit seeds. The hard external shell keeps the embryo inside secluded from oxygen and water. Internal dormancy is also referred to as embryo dormancy. The embryo of the seed will stay dormant until it gets enough water, light, warmth and/or oxygen.
If your baby tree is dormant and you are ready to plant it, follow these simple guidelines to give it the best chance at survival.

1. Dig a hole about twice as big as the tree roots.

2. Stir up the soil around the sides of the hole so that the dirt is not packed tight. This will allow the roots to spread more easily.

3. Gently place the roots in the hole and carefully fill dirt around the delicate roots.

4. Water the first layer of dirt so that it settles securely around the roots.

5. Add another layer of dirt, water to help it settle, then repeat.

6. Keep adding and watering until the dirt level reaches one to two inches above the top root.

7. Form the soil into a well so that water drains toward the tree.

8. Mix mulch in the top layer of soil to help water retention.

9. Top off the area with mulch that expands one to two feet away from the trunk.

10.If snow is available, pack snow on top of the mulch to insulate the tree from the elements.

If you are in a warmer climate, such as Texas, where trees may not be in a dormant state, you may want to contact an Arborist at Austin tree service for information on planting trees in your area.

About the Author: Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.