Blog Post

4 Ways to Help your Trees Survive the Winter

  • By Paul Day
  • 01 Nov, 2018
Winter tree

As summer finally comes to end, Sheffield’s native trees have already spent time transferring from their growing season to a more dormant state, giving way to the spectacular explosion of autumnal colour throughout the city. With this in mind, although the city’s deciduous trees will be entering their dormant period, you may be wondering how you can ensure your oak, ash and birch survives the cold winters we have come to expect. Although you needn’t do too much to ensure your tree survives, here a few tips to give them the best possible start come springtime.

Tree TLC

As dormancy approaches, take a few steps to make sure they’re comfortable for the winter months. Begin by clearing out the dead leaves and shoots that have likely gathered around the base of the tree. In keeping this space clean, you are keeping the tree sanitised and saving it from potential leaf blight or other, more serious diseases during the warmer months. Also, now the growing stage has ended, it is the perfect time to prune back any excess growth that may be encroaching on your property and dispose of dead wood that may be in the canopy, ensuring your tree remains strong and healthy.

Wrap them Up

Wrapping is important for all thin-barked trees during winter, and even more so for younger saplings in order to protect them from sun scald, the freezing of bark causing permanent scarring to dormant trees. In wrapping your newly planted trees, you will be adding an extra layer of protection from the sun’s rays to substitute for the lack of leaves and stop them from finishing their dormant period early. It also helps to protect their trunks from any unwanted critters looking to settle inside and cause damage.

Mulching
 

For your trees and indeed the rest of your plants, mulching is an important part of garden maintenance. However, in comparison to mulching during the growing season as a way to deter weeds and lock in nutrients in the topsoil, mulching during the winter time is primarily done to protect your trees from the harsher conditions. Loose organic insulating material, like bark and garden compost, will do the trick when it comes to picking mulch, helping to protect your trees roots from cold damage and to retain moisture during periods of cold, dry weather.

Snowy Weather

If we have a snowy few months, try not to use rock salt near the base of the tree, as this can detrimentally affect the roots ability to absorb and retain water. Also, if you see your tree covered in snow, resist the urge to shake the branches; the cold weather can freeze sections of trees making them brittle and more likely to snap.


Although trees have the wherewithal to comfortably outlast the winter period, your contribution will give them a great start to the warmer months and ensure you have another beautiful year from your trees. If you’re in need of an extra helping hand when it comes to tree maintenance however, Paul Day Tree Surgery is here to make sure your beloved trees are as healthy as possible. With a range of services from pruning to pollarding, and a 24/7 emergency call-out service, you’ll never need to worry about garden troubles again. For more info on our range of services, check out our website.


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Spending time in the garden has been proven to provide a range of mental health benefits. From improving the connection we have with the world to reducing stress, gardening can make us happier, healthier and more fulfilled people. Having the perfect garden to unwind in only helps to improve these benefits and, as the summer arrives, working with local gardeners can ensure your outdoor space is summer-ready. 

From large-scale projects, like landscaping and patio installations, to more generalised maintenance, local gardeners can breath new life into your outdoor area for the ensuing period of parties and entertaining. To give you some inspiration, we’ve provided a few tips on how to create the perfect summer-ready garden.

Have Local Gardeners Perform Landscaping and Garden Improvements

When summer begins to peek over the horizon, it can inspire us to change our homes to accommodate living outdoors. This process may require some improvement in your garden, but investing in the below additions can create a much more habitable environment.

Paving

Paving your garden is an excellent way to create an entertainment area for the summer. If you’re lucky enough to have a large outdoor space, you can section off an area dedicated to dining and parties. 

Similarly, paving is a great way to section off other areas of the garden and create a ‘zonal’ space. Using paving intelligently, local gardeners can dissect areas of your garden for different purposes. For example, you could install paving as a perimeter to your flower bed, for entertainment space and for dining.

Decking

Similarly to paving, a decked area will create a more habitable environment for friends and family to dine outdoors. By installing a decked area at the top of your garden, you can create the perfect space to utilise for summer parties and gatherings.

Local Gardeners Can Improve The Privacy of Your Garden For Summer Parties With Fencing

Creating a new entertainment space in your garden is all well and good. However, you may also need to improve the privacy of your garden at the same time. Local gardeners can provide quality fencing products to ensure that you have the privacy you want. 

Particularly if you have a young family and live in a built-up area, it’s important to have adequate security. Every family wants to be able to enjoy the summer in their garden without the unease of limited privacy measures. From timber fences to bespoke solutions, there are plenty of options which ensure your garden is summer-ready.

Employ Local Gardeners To Prune and Thin Trees To Allow More Sun In

As summer approaches, your trees and bushes will begin to become more unruly. If left to their own devices, the plant life in your garden may become obstructive and can even hinder the growth of other plants. That’s why it’s always a good idea to contact local gardeners to prune and thin your trees before they get too difficult to manage. 

By pruning your plants, bushes, hedges and trees in the lead up to and during summer, you’ll facilitate better growth, improve the aesthetics of your garden and increase the sunlight streaming into your outdoor space. 

As well as pruning some of the larger trees in your garden, hedges and smaller bushes can also be trimmed back. Having your hedges trimmed by local gardeners will ensure they remain healthy and neat. Having a well-maintained hedge during the summer can even act as a natural alternative to a perimeter fence and can improve the biodiversity of your garden.

Prepare Your Vegetable Patch and Fruit Trees

One of the many benefits of having a garden is the ability to grow your own produce. However, doing so does require some maintenance work. 

If you have a fruit tree growing in your garden, the timing of pruning can greatly impact the quality and quantity of your crop. Particularly if your fruit tree is still in its infancy, it’s important to help it grow thick branches and canopies by pruning. The best time to prune fruit trees is in early spring before any significant budding. If your fruit trees are pruned properly in the first few years, they will provide much better fruit in higher quantities. 

As well as preparing your trees for fruiting, the lead up to summer can also be spent preparing your vegetable patch. The first step in the process should be preparing your soil for planting. Loosen the soil, add compost, level the soil and water it adequately. 

In the spring, plants like tomatoes and peppers should be incubated indoors whilst it’s still chilly. These can be moved outside once it gets hotter. However, you can begin planting vegetables like potatoes and onions outdoors straight away. When the summer does arrive, you’ll have a healthy and happy crop ready to eat.

Some General Upkeep To Consider

As well as some of the significant improvements covered here, there is also some more generalised upkeep you can enact in the lead-up to summer.

Weeds

Weeding isn’t one of the most well-loved gardening projects in the world. However, it’s a necessary evil every gardener will have to go through to ensure their garden remains healthy. The lead up to summer is the best time to tackle this problem. During spring, remove any weeds from the garden and from in between the cracks in your paving. By de-weeding, you can ensure that your plants, rather than the weeds, consume the nutrients in the soil. 

At the same time as de-weeding, you should also spend some time getting rid of any pests. Using natural solutions, like crushed eggshells for slugs, you can future-proof your plant life and vegetation.

Plant Summer Plants and Tidy Flower Beds

The blossoming of flowers is one of the most satisfying experiences of summer. It signifies the changing of the seasons and begins to bring colour and warmth into your garden. During the autumn, dead leaves and twigs will have fallen down and collected in your flower beds. With summer on the horizon, now is the time to clear that up ready for summer plants. Prepare the soil of your flowerbeds, tidy the borders up and plant flowers like lilies, dahlias and others that thrive in the warmer period.

Start Your Compost Heap

By using high-quality compost, you can greatly improve the quality of your soil and, therefore, your plants. Begin making your own compost heap months in advance to ensure it’s ready for summer. If starting during the summer, your heap should be ready for the following summer. You can then recycle much of your garden and kitchen waste to add to the compost.

Clean, Treat and Varnish Your Furniture

Finally, summer poses an opportunity to give some of your garden furniture some TLC. Dust, wash, varnish and treat your furniture to ensure it’s in the best possible condition for the summer. The spring is the best time to make these small improvements to have your garden summer-ready for friends and family.

Our Local Gardeners Provide Specialist Tree Services in Sheffield and Beyond

Do you require the services of local gardeners at your property in Sheffield and the surrounding area? If so, look no further than Paul Day Specialists. We’re experts in the industry and provide a wide range of services for both domestic and commercial clients. Whether you need a tree felling or simple hedge maintenance, we can help. 

If you want to get your garden ready for the summer, with services like hedge maintenance, landscaping and pruning, one of our specialists can be on hand to help. 

To find out more about our services, please feel free to contact us today. You can call us on either 01909 519 675 or 07909 743 488. Alternatively, email us at paul.daycountryside@btinternet.com.

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