Snow is a powerful force of nature in Rochester, MN, and just as it can be both a joy or frustration to the city’s residents, it can also be a friend or foe to trees and shrubs. The duality of its nature means that it can cause damage seemingly overnight, but it also offers protection to plants and their roots from extreme temperatures that would otherwise kill them. Understanding this interaction is key to woody plant healthcare during the bitter-cold winter, and understanding how Maier Tree and Lawn can help protect your plantings.
Snow can damage a plant in more than one way, but many of the common forms of snow damage are related to the sheer weight that snow can possess. A plant can be bent, broken, split, or even uprooted with enough snow. Very few Minnesota native plants and trees are immune to these threats from heavy snow. Once a tree or woody plant loses its leaves, the risks of damage due to snow are decreased, but all trees can suffer from unexpected snow damage.
In the rare cases in which we get early snow, deciduous trees and other woody plants may still have their leaves. This additional weight to the plantings can increase widespread snow damage such as bending, breaking, and splitting, which in turn, can significantly impact the overall health of your trees in a negative way. With enough physical snow damage, your woody plants may not be able to recover completely on their own.
Protecting woody plants from snow damage is sometimes as simple as covering them with burlap tarps during unseasonably early snow, but for deciduous trees or other types of massive plants, this isn’t always feasible. If your woody plants or trees have been impacted by snow damage or you’re interested in winter plant healthcare, contact the expert arborists at Maier Tree and Lawn today for additional information. Rochester, MN, residents can call at (507) 286–8733 or visit our website today!
