Guide for Helping Your Trees Survive a Dry, Cold Winter in the Midwest

Winter watering guide – trees & shrubs

By: Frisella Nursery

The cold, dry winter weather has made its debut here in the midwest whether you like it or not. It is very common for trees & shrubs to dry out during the winter months when there is very little rainfall and this can be detrimental to your plants. Thankfully, Frisella is here to help! 

We’ve got you covered with the steps you can take to get your trees ready for cold, dry  weather and give them the best chance at staying healthy come springtime. Check out our tips on how to prepare your trees.

• Watch newly planted trees closely!
  • Younger trees typically need more care and attention going into the winter months. Newly planted trees are not as developed as your older trees and they are not strong enough to withstand the cold and dry on their own. Be sure to keep a close eye on those younger trees! 
• Water your trees & shrubs when it is dry on a regular schedule!
  • When it hasn’t rained in weeks you want to be sure to give your trees & shrubs a steady source of water. Place a hose at the base of your trees and let a slow trickle of water drip for 8-12 hours (depending on size of the tree) every 2-3 weeks. For shrubs, water every 1-2 weeks.

• Water your trees before the ground freezes!
  • To prevent your trees & shrubs from drying out, water the base of your trees BEFORE the ground freezes. Make sure that you water the base of your trees a generous amount before the dry, cold weather hits. Remember, this is extremely important for newly planted trees & shrubs. 
• Apply a layer of mulch around the base of trees!
  • Adding a protective layer of mulch around the base of your trees can help to insulate, reduce evaporation in the soil, and lock in the moisture to the ground. You can put a 2-4 inch layer of wood chips, bark or other organic mulch around the tree. Help retain some nutrients by recycling some leaves from the fall season into your mulch mixture. 

If you have any questions at all or need help watering your trees, please call Frisella at (636) 798-2555! We are here to help, if you are unable to get out and water your trees yourself please call us & set something up. We can have someone stop by your home to set up a hose and help your trees survive this weather. Check out our complete plant watering guide here or see this video about tree watering!

Please note: if you have trees that are under a Frisella plant warranty, the warranty is subject to proper watering and care. 

Also, if your area does happen to get a bit of rain… IT IS NOT ENOUGH! It is going to take several thorough rain falls to get us out of this drought. KEEP WATERING!!!