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GLT's Grow: Winter Damage Control

Jellyl Dude
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Flickr via Creative Commons

Winter has quite the arsenal it can throw at us -- and our yards, noted  Patrick Murphy, host of GLT's Grow.  But understanding the full wrath of winter weather can help us treat, and possibly, prevent damage.

  • Wind and sun are a one-two punch your trees don't need. Protect trees from winter burn with a wrap around the trunk.  
  • Wind burn can impact conifers.  You'll see a rust color on the needles, if wind burn has occurred.  Treat with anti-desiccant in the fall.
  • Deal with hanging branches if you can reach them safely.  Get branches out of the tree so it doesn't fall and hurt someone.  But if it's too high, hire help from a landscaping company.
  • Heaving is a problem with turf in the winter. Freezing, thawing and refreezing causes this.  You can't escape that, but you can make sure that your lawn drains well to try to mitigate it.
  •  De-icing agents can harm the grass, too.  Be mindful when spreading salt.  Get out there with a broom to keep salt away from green spaces.
Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.