Ken Almstead: Protect Your Winter Evergreens with Anti-desiccants

Ken Almstead: Protect Your Winter Evergreens with Antid-esiccants: Winter can be harsh on trees and shrubs in our area. When the weather is very cold and the ground freezes, plants are unable to absorb water from the surrounding soil. So, instead, they use up the water stored in their leaves and stems. This can be very damaging for evergreens, which retain their leaves in winter.

Applying an antidesiccant spray to certain evergreens’ foliage is a good way of avoiding winter damage to evergreens. The antidesiccant adds an additional oily or waxy coating to the leaves, keeping the moisture inside. Many evergreens in our area are especially vulnerable to winter damage — particularly holly, rhododendron, cherry laurel, skip laurel, mountain laurel, Japanese skimmia, leucothoe, aucuba and boxwood. We recommend using an antidesiccant on these plants in early winter, and another application in late-January to mid-February if the weather breaks.

Another thing to do throughout the fall and winter season is to water evergreens whenever the weather is conducive to do so. Even a once a week drenching will go a long way. Many of the stressed and dieback conditions we experienced this season are due to the abnormally dry weather last year and earlier this year. Be mindful of newly planted materials as it typically takes three growing seasons to become established.

Antidesiccants are biodegradable and will wear off the leaves come spring.

Ken Almstead is an award-winning arborist and is the CEO of Almstead Tree, Shrub and Lawn Care, a family owned business that has provided arbor care, plant health care, lawn care, organic care, consulting, planting and mulch services for commercial and residential clients in Westchester County since 1964. They operate four branch offices including one in Hawthorne. (Almstead Tree, Shrub and Lawn Care, 15 Broadway, Hawthorne, 914.741.1510; www.almstead.com)

More on winter tree and shrub care from Ken Almstead

More tree, shrub and lawn care tips from Ken Almstead