Winter is not only fluffy and sparkling snow in the sun, but also thaws that just as suddenly give way to frosts.
On such days, summer residents anxiously follow the weather forecast, hoping that the worst – freezing rains – will not happen. But if the weather is not merciful, you need to know what not to do.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", an agronomist and landscape designer, told whether it is possible to knock ice off trees.
Snow, wet snow and, of course, ice create extra load on trees in winter. In such cases, gardeners try to knock off excess snow with brushes. And this is right.
But you shouldn't knock ice off the trees.
Why not?
Firstly, branches covered with ice in the cold become very brittle and it is very easy to break them.
Secondly, even on a frosty day, the sun can melt the ice, and it will melt itself.
Thirdly, it was necessary to prepare for freezing rain in advance.
How to prepare a garden
No one guarantees that the winter will pass peacefully. Therefore, in the fall, you need to remove all brittle, cracked and dead branches.
Late autumn is suitable for pruning, as the trees go into hibernation and the wounds close successfully.
It is also important to place supports under the trees in advance and tie the branches of the bushes into bundles.
What to do after freezing rain
Broken branches on trees and bushes should not be left until better times.
If possible, they should be cut and removed, otherwise, when they fall, they can cause even more harm.
After this, an inspection is carried out, since longitudinal cracks may appear in the tree trunk.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
