Pinelawn Arboretum Gardener Offers Tree Care Tips Before Winter

As temperatures drop, the master gardener of Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum, the 500-acre cemetery and Level II arboretum in Farmingdale, is offering homeowners advice on how to protect their trees from winter damage.

“Many trees that are not prepared for winter might be subject to stress, disease, fungus and physical damage,” Ertugrul Kasap noted. “In New York especially, our trees undergo a large amount of stress from the cold, wind and ongoing wet conditions, but if you take the time to care for them now, you will help your beloved and beautiful trees withstand the harsh winter weather to ensure their vitality and growth come spring.”

Kasap advises homeowners to take tree soil samples twice a year — in the fall and in the spring — and get them tested using a kit from a home and garden store. The soil test results will indicate if a fertilizer application is needed.

“If a tree has the proper soil, it will have a huge health advantage,” Kasap said. “This is comparable to a person having a healthy immune system — they are more likely to be able to fend off colds, viruses, and infections. If a tree has healthy soil, it is more resilient to fungus, disease, insect problems, physical damage and climate/environmental conditions.”

Kasap also encourages homeowners to inspect their trees now to check for vulnerability, which can be identified by yellowing leaves or needles, early loss of foliage, a thin canopy, decay, insect or physical damage and broken branches.

“If a tree is weak prior to the winter, it may have trouble surviving it,” Kasap said. And if that’s the case, he suggests contacting an arborist.

Homeowners should also research the type of trees that they have to understand which of their trees will be most vulnerable to local winter conditions.

Kasap also advises watering recently planted trees before freezing temperatures set in. He pointed out that some recent fall plantings may require protection from harsh wind, which can be accomplished by wrapping them in burlap.

To prevent damage from heavy snow, he said some trees may need to be tied up to reduce the chances of the weight breaking their branches.

He noted that winter is the best time for structural pruning for most trees. “When the tree is dormant, cuts that need to be made will be less stressful to the tree,” he said.

Pinelawn’s arboretum was awarded Level II status from the International Arboretum Accreditation Program, ArbNet, in 2021. A Level II arboretum must have at least 100 species of woody plants, employ paid staff and have enhanced public education programs and a documented collections policy, according to ArbNet.

“Our staff takes great pride in maintaining a healthy, tranquil and beautiful environment for families throughout our gardens,” said Justin Locke, the president of Pinelawn. “We are happy to be able to share our knowledge with the community so that together, we can enjoy the natural beauty of the environment.”