WINTER TREES

If you feel the urge to buy a Monkey Puzzle tree(Arucaria Arucana), make sure it is far away from the house... They get very big!!

STAKING
If you’re buying trees at this time of year and they are larger than a couple of feet tall, then you will probably have to stake them. I was at our local school garden this week, which is surrounded by a ten-foot wall for wind protection and noticed one of the trees had been blown over in the recent winds. The tree is a Hawthorne (Crataegus) and is supposed to be a hardy variety called “Paul’s Scarlet”. The stake had rotted at ground level and the tree, which is at least ten feet tall, was lying on its side. To keep this tree secure over the winter there will probably have to be two or even three stakes secured around it to hold it securely in place to keep the trunk stable so the roots can develop. Because it is the dormant season we may be able to save the tree.

WINTER PROTECTION
Most trees are hardy to our wet and windy weather, but some new trees, especially evergreen conifers need a bit of protection in winter. Conifers tend to suffer from scorching of the leaves, so in really cold weather they could be wrapped up in bubble plastic or an old sack. If you have small conifers in containers it would be an idea to move them to a sheltered spot until late spring

PRUNING
I’ve noticed some tree surgeons with chainsaws around the peninsula pruning the large trees that are overhanging onto the roads. For some trees such as the Oak, Willow and Mountain Ash, now is an ideal time to trim back the dead or old branches. There are some trees that will suffer because of fungal disease though if they are pruned now. Poplars and all the ornamental trees such as plum, peach, pear and cherry should be pruned in late summer so wait until next year before tackling those.