Winter maintenance for trees

Hungry animals and the extreme weather of Minnesota winters are potential threats to young trees. The following includes a few tips to help prevent some of the damage that can occur in the winter months.

Sun Protection

For fruiting, flowering and thin barked trees (such as maples, honey locusts, basswoods and aspens) it is important to protect the trunks during winter months. Sun scald occurs when the sun heats up the bark to the point in which the tree's tissues are stimulated as they are in warmer seasons in order to grow. However, when the sun goes away, the temperature drops quickly and kills the active tissue. Use a light colored guard such as paper tree wrap or tree tubes. The trunks should be protected from the ground to the first branch. Install the guards in the fall and remove in the spring.

Sun scalded maple

Root Injury & Frost Heaving

Soil temperatures in winter are much higher than air temperatures. Tree roots cannot withstand as cold of temperatures as the rest of the tree. Sandy or dry soil (as in drought years such as this year) hold less heat so frost penetrates more deeply, which can damage the tree's roots. With newly planted trees there can be small spaces in the planting hole backfill that allow cold air to reach the root zone. New trees should be mulched with 6-8 inches of wood chips or straw to insulate the soil around the roots.

Additionally, freezing and thawing of the soil repeatedly in fall or spring causes the ground to expand and contract, which can damage new trees. Mulch is the solution to this problem as well, as it helps to maintain consistent soil temperatures.

Animal Damage

Hungry animals nibble on trees in winter and can cause severe damage. Wrap the trunk with mesh hardware cloth from 2-3 inches below the soil (for mice) to 18-24 inches above the anticipated snow line for rabbits.

Repellants should be used if deer are a problem.These make the tree smell or taste undesirable without harming the animal. Repellants can also be used against rodents.

Employment roundtable led by Congressman Ellison

Tree Trust will hold a youth job training roundtable on Friday, October 21 which will be led by Congressman Keith Ellison. Ellison represents the 5th district of Minnesota, which includes Minneapolis and 11 surrounding cities.

Tree Trust's Vice President of Programming Norm Champ will serve as host for the event, which will run from 10:00 AM-11:30 AM. The roundtable will be attended by a number of organizations that provide employment services, including HIRED, Resource, Inc., YouthLink,  Project for Pride in Living, and others. The event has a closed attendance policy and all attendees were required to RSVP.

The roundtable's agenda includes discussion of the Put America to Work Act and the Emergency Jobs Act Now. Participating employment organizations are on the front lines of the employment crisis, and Ellison is interested in feedback regarding the challenges that they are facing in placing low-, middle-, and high-skilled labor in the current economy.

There will also be discussion of racial disparities in unemployment rates, which is currently particularly relevant for the Twin Cities. The Economic Policy Institute recently released a study showing that the Minneapolis metropolitan area has the largest disparity in employment based on race among the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas. The area's black population is nearly three times more likely to be unemployed than the white population.

The fragility of the economy will also be addressed, as well as nationwide data on challenges to employment.

Trees planted in N. Mpls & around the metro

It has been a busy fall for Tree Trust's Community Forestry Department. On October 2nd and 3rd staff and 22 volunteers distributed 207 trees to homeowners in North Minneapolis who lost trees in the May 22, 2011 tornado. This distribution was a part of our North Minneapolis Reforest Project (NMRF), which was supported by grants from State Farm Insurance, the Xcel Energy Foundation, and an in-kind donation from Bachman's Nursery.

Tree varieties included Prairiefire Crabapple, Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry, Northern Hackberry, and Royal Star Magnolia.

Our Young Adult Conservation Corps program was also involved in the North Minneapolis Reforest Project. On October 11th they planted trees for individuals who participated in NMRF but were unable to plant their own trees.

On October 6th, Tree Trust's Community Forestry Manager, Karen Zumach, was awarded the President's Award from the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture (MSA) for her many contributions to community forestry in the Twin Cities. Tree Trust also received the Practitioner's Award of Excellence from MSA for its innovative planting projects with the City of St Louis Park.

Tree Trust had a Green Futures tree planting at Marsh Lake Park in Bloomington on October 8th. We had beautiful weather and were able to involve 33 volunteers in the planting of 44 trees. Varieties included Boulevard Linden, Valley Forge Elm, Swamp White Oak, Prairiefire Crabapple, Autumn Blaze Maple, and Quaking Aspen.

We have one more Green Futures planting this fall on Saturday, October 15th at Musser Park in Sunfish Lake. Sign up to volunteer here, or contact Felecia Schmidt at felecias@treetrust.org or 952-767-3884 for more information.

Tree Trust's last Community Forestry event of the fall will be a Learning with Trees planting on October 17th at Hilltop Primary School in Minnetrista. The Learning with Trees program helps schools around the state build outdoor learning areas on school grounds that include trees, shrubs, and benches. Groups of students are led by Tree Trust staff and volunteers, and every student has the opportunity to be involved in planting a tree.

For more information about our Community Forestry programs, contact Diana Preisen at dianap@treetrust.org or 612-590-1421.