Skip the Rake
This is what you want the ground under your trees to look like!
Winter is a time of slowing down, finding warmth with others, and gathering energy, within. For our trees, this crucial process occurs in the soil. Feeder roots pause their wilder, summer-driven search for air and nutrients in the soil and, as the air grows colder, the entire tree root system senses alterations in temperature underground, pausing growth. But things don’t shut down entirely. In our region, alterations in temperature make the winter pause an active one. When cold hits, think of how carefully we leave the house: stopping at the door to consider gloves or a hat, maybe even an extra layer. And when we finally get out in it, the wind, chill, and precipitation affect how we move.
Our trees roots tune themselves to the shift, underground. They rest, when they rest, in a state of alertness. Roots can grow between 32 and 41°F, scientists think. But much is mysterious about how roots overwinter, and remains so without a way to witness, without harm to the tree, underground.
Another way our trees keep active during the winter pause involves fall leaf litter. Leaves left to decompose above a tree’s root system create insulation that many trees need in order for their seeds to sprout. As Peter Wollehben notes in his book The Hidden Lives of Trees, a tree has a higher rate of survivability if it has offspring to feed and nurture in community. Decomposing leaves provide delicious phosphorus and nitrogen, which most types of mulches lack. If the rakes have already been used and the bags have left the curb, there is always next year! Trees are forgiving creatures. Next year, try raking those leaves underneath the drip line of your trees, letting leaves turn back into food for the fungal web your trees all need in order to thrive.
A thick, forest-like layer of leaves keeps the ground warmer in winter and cooler in the summer, leading to a healthier microbiome in a more balanced, regulated environment. A healthier biome means a less compacted soil, which is at the top of an urban tree’s wish list.
Winter is the best time to prune live tissue on trees. Most of the pruning goals for a tree can be achieved by making small diameter cuts of less than 4 inches. If you’ve been worried about that large leader failing or have a branch tickling your roof, winter is the ideal time to give us a call to have a look.