Fall Tree & Shrub Health Update 2023

If you have planted any evergreen trees or shrubs in the last 1-5 years, consider protecting evergreen foliage from drying out this winter. It’s a little-known fact that many evergreen trees will signal the opening of their leaf pores on sunny, mild afternoons in winter to take in CO2 from the air to make sugars (a process known as photosynthesis). By opening these leaf pores, the plant also opens itself up to the loss of leaf moisture. The result is leaf desiccation, which can be seen as an unsightly leaf browning, most commonly on the afternoon sun side of the tree. Trees require several years to establish an adequate root system to help store enough water for plant needs over the winter and early spring. This means that evergreens that were recently planted (e.g. last 1-5 years) are the most susceptible to winter desiccation.

Traditionally, evergreen trees are protected by wrapping them burlap or erecting burlap barriers around the foliage. Burlap barriers can be labour intensive to install and take-down, making them costly and prone to damage. At Beautiful Trees, we routinely treat evergreen trees and shrubs with Anti-Desiccant in late November and early December. Our Anti-Desiccant is specially formulated to cover foliage with a protective coating that washes off gradually, just in time for spring.