Content
- Maintain trees properly in winter
- Natural protection mechanisms of deciduous trees
- How to support trees in winter
- Tips
Fallen leaves are left as winter protection for the tree roots
Maintain trees properly in winter
Many animals grow a dense, warming fur before the winter, or simply hibernate in the cold season. We humans put on thick jackets, hats and gloves to protect us from the cold. But how do trees survive the winter? And is a special winter protection necessary at all? We have compiled this information for you in this article.
Natural protection mechanisms of deciduous trees
Deciduous trees usually have green foliage, which turns yellow or reddish in autumn and finally falls off. But why is that so? The fall foliage is a protective mechanism of the tree, because the leaves need to be supplied with water and nutrients. If they remained on the tree during the light winter months, the tree would not be able to supply them with sufficient moisture and gradually dry them. Instead, he just drops her and goes into hibernation. The autumnal coloration is explained by the decreasing photosynthesis: As long as it is in full swing, the leaves remain green due to the chlorophyll. If the light intensity decreases, the proportion of the green dye also decreases until it is finally displaced by yellow and red shades.
Other natural protective measures:
However, not all deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn, some are evergreen. These have developed other protection mechanisms from the cold. The same applies to most conifers, with the exception of the European larch.
How to support trees in winter
Basically, you should only plant trees in the garden that are sufficiently hardy. This applies to all native species, but also many imported, frost hardy deciduous and coniferous trees are suitable. On the other hand, more sensitive species should only be planted in appropriately protected locations or cultivated in a single pot. Furthermore, you can support hardy trees in winter by these measures:
If you fertilize your trees, you should stop the fertilization by the end of July so that young shoots still have the chance to ripen.
Tips
Winter hardy trees in pots can usually overwinter outside, however, you should wrap the pot with an insulating fleece and cover the substrate with a thick layer of mulch and spruce or fir twigs. On frost-free days, the potted tree should be watered so that it does not dry up.