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Your Evergreen Trees Are Probably Dehydrated in Winter: This is Why

Resources: Seasonal Tree Care

evergreen tree in winter needles covered in snow

Winter carries a host of different opinions. While some people may enjoy cozying up indoors with a blanket and a nice book, others may miss their outdoor adventures under the blazing sun. Whichever the case may be for you, when it comes to your evergreen trees and shrubs, winter often means one thing: working extra hard to fight dehydration.

Dehydration can lead to:

  • Yellowing/browning of needles and leaves or marginal leaf burn
  • Browning starting at tips of needles
  • Wilting, damaged leaves
  • Worsened health into the upcoming seasons

If you have evergreen trees or shrubs, it’ll be important to keep an eye out for the following stressors. To help you prevent the unsightly symptoms, we’ll be discussing the causes for dehydration and what you can do now to help your evergreens fend off this seasonal battle.


Culprit #1: Winter Burn

Evergreen needles work to nourish the plant (transpiration) –> not enough nutrients or moisture can be replenished –> evergreen becomes dehydrated –> browning needles

evergreen tree in winter affected by winter burn desiccation
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – FIA , Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bugwood.org

Unlike deciduous trees, evergreens continue working in the winter. By storing nutrients throughout the year, they’re able to stay green, keep their foliage, and continue growing even in the winter months… in the ideal world, anyway.  

Although they’re able to continue working in the winter, evergreens’ unique ability comes with a cost: a greater need for water/nutrient expenditure. Both resources are challenging to get, thanks to the frozen ground and no easy access to roots.

And it gets worse: when bright sun or harsh wind join in with the winter ground, evergreens are faced with the balancing act of trying to stay nourished while replenishing that lost moisture.

Without access to the soil, evergreen trees & shrubs in winter rely on the stored nutrients in their needles. This typically ends with the lost battle you witness with your own eyes: drying & browning evergreen trees or shrubs (aka too large of an eyesore in your winter landscape).    

>> Learn more about the impact of winter burn


Culprit #2: Rock Salt & Ice Melts

snowflake on tree in winter

Rock salt sounds like an easy solution to frozen grounds in winter, but for evergreen trees that is far from the truth. While rock salt & ice melts can seamlessly make our lives easier, they can be detrimental to the livelihood of trees & shrubs in winter.

Salts inevitably dissolve into soil. The problem is, evergreens can only afford to take bare minimum. When evergreens absorb too much sodium, not enough nutrients they actually need are able to feed into them, which often leads to malnourished trees & shrubs in winter.

Even above ground, simple contact of rock salts can be harmful to evergreen trees & shrubs. Similar to winter burn, salt burn dehydrates evergreens. It pulls the water out of the plants’ needles, buds, and branches which results in dehydration as well as other signs of salt damage.

>> Find out more about how salt can harm your trees in winter


Here’s What You Can Do For Your Trees & Shrubs in Winter

As is the case for all tree & shrub care, the best way to keep your evergreens hydrated in the winter is through early prevention, before disaster strikes. The good news is there is a way to incarcerate both culprits, winter burn and rock salt, before they have a chance at harming your evergreens and causing winter injury. (Bonus: It’s 100% organic and biodegradable!)

Our Winter Protection Program helps your landscape in terms of both aesthetics and long-term health. By having a Certified Arborist apply an anti-desiccant spray, your evergreens will have protection against winter desiccation.

A winter protection plan can protect against:

  • Winter burn (no browning or dying)
  • De-icing salt damage
  • Drought stress
  • Leaf scorch
  • Root system issues

And not only do they help remove the chance for an eyesore, they add a more polished and brighter look that wasn’t there before.

Protect Your Evergreen Trees & Shrubs in Winter

Reserve An Appointment Online
OR Call 703.573.3029
evergreen trees in winter storm

Our Winter Protection Program armors up leaves with a waxy, natural coating, shielding evergreens against the revenging implications winter forces their way. Comparable to the lotions and humidifiers we use to remoisturize, the barrier helps evergreen trees & shrubs maintain moisture and stay resilient in the dead of harsh winters.  

Get started today by reserving an appointment online or by calling us at 703-573-3029.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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