Good landscaping makes the area look nice for the people who work in your building, of course. But it also makes the complex look more enticing to businesses looking for space, and for customers visiting companies. Customers who see a ragged, half-dead landscape may think twice about doing business with companies there. By caring for your trees and commercial landscape, you’re helping your tenants retain business. This includes wintertime care that protects the trees and helps them survive until spring.

Inspect for Sunscald and Frost Cracks

Sunscald and frost cracks are conditions that can affect any tree, and it’s vital that you look for signs on yours. This is because these conditions don’t always show up immediately. The damage can occur long before you see external signs.

Sunscald occurs when the tree’s trunk gets too much sunlight, too soon. Sunscald most often shows up on the southern or western sides of the trunk, most often in late winter. The risk goes up if there’s snow or ice to reflect more sunlight onto the trunk. But it can occur at any time.

Sunscald shows up as discoloration and, sometimes, damaged bark that starts to peel. If the temperatures fluctuate between above and below freezing, the sap in the tree can alternately run and freeze. Like ice, frozen sap expands. That creates a vertical crack in the trunk, known as a frost crack.

You can help trees that have developed sunscald or frost cracks, but the process takes a while. This is one time when you really want the guidance of a tree service because they have the proper training and experience to mitigate these issues.

Inspect Trees for Broken Branches

Even if the weather in winter has been mild, look at the whole tree to spot broken branches. Hire a tree service to trim these away immediately. If they fall, they can hurt someone or cause damage. Even branches that look small and light can be a problem.

If you’re hoping to save some money by trimming the branches yourself, please reconsider. A tree service crew knows where to prune to protect the rest of the tree from infection. They can also spot minor damage that you might not recognize. What’s more important is that the crew will have insurance to cover accidents.

Check Root and Soil Stability

Look around the roots of the tree. If those are under a layer of mulch, remove the mulch. Note whether any roots look like they’re withering or have damage. Also, check that the soil doesn’t appear to be eroding. If you see those signs or notice that the tree is leaning, that’s an emergency. Call a tree service immediately.

Add or Replace Mulch

If the roots and soil appear to be fine, place clean, new mulch around the base of the tree. That mulch helps keep the tree roots a little warmer. Don’t pack the mulch against the trunk; leave a few inches of space. Use only a couple of inches (vertical) of mulch.

Give your trees the TLC they deserve. Tree Police helps property owners in Cedar Rapids keep their trees in great condition, so contact us to arrange for winter commercial tree care now!