Tree and Shrub Care: Part 2 – Overwintering Evergreens

Beautiful Blue Spruce Tree by fire pit

Galay Landscaping

Galay Landscaping has been a premier landscape contractor since 2003. We have created luxurious easy to maintain landscape projects throughout Manitoba and North-West Ontario including the Winnipeg area and Lake of the Woods.

Intro

Evergreen trees are stunning and unique year around. Their green (or sometimes blueish) foliage captives us and stands out against the white landscape in winter. Keeping these trees looking great throughout the winter is a top priority for most people. The most common types of Evergreens grown in the Prairies are:

  • Spruce
  • Pine
  • Cedar
  • Juniper

There are a number of different species of the evergreens listed above and all can usually survive on their own through winter….. But there are several things you can do to help them thrive through those cold months.

Skybound Cedars looking beautifully green in a yard.
Check out our selection of Evergreens at Meadows Way Garden Center

1. Watering

Ensure evergreen trees receive plenty of water in fall before freeze up. Evergreens lose water all winter through their foliage, but can’t replace that water from the frozen ground. This can lead to the foliage turning brown during the winter, which can persist well into the following summer.

Help your trees stay hydrated by watering daily starting in mid-September to really saturate the ground before daytime temperatures stay below freezing.

2. Wrapping

To improve protection from the winter sun and drying winds, install a burlap wall around the plant. To do this, place stakes in the ground around your tree/shrub. Then wrap burlap around the outside of the stakes. The burlap should NOT touch the foliage. Keep the burlap at least 6” away from the foliage. This will ensure adequate air circulation around the plant.

Closing

Wrapping can help protect a newly planted small evergreen while it’s getting established in the landscape but it’s not a substitute for watering. Watering evergreen trees/shrubs in fall is the most important factor to ensure your evergreen plant stays EVERGREEN all year around!

If you found this article handy, you may also like…

Tree and Shrub Care: Part 1 – Watering

Tree and Shrub Care: Part 1 – Watering

Watering is the single most important step you can take to ensure the health of any plant. To get the most out of your trees and shrubs, make sure you know how much to water them and how that varies over our Manitoba seasons.