Should young fruit trees be covered for the winter and how to do it correctly?

Young fruit trees need to be covered for the winter—this is essential because frost can damage their root system and cause the plant's death. Prepare newly planted fruit trees in the garden before frost sets in. The timing of covering fruit crops depends on the climate of the region where they are grown.

Climate conditions also influence how and with what to cover garden trees and whether their trunks need to be wrapped. Step-by-step photos and detailed instructions help inexperienced gardeners properly prepare young plants for winter and ensure a good harvest in the future.

Why are young trees covered?

Newly planted trees in the garden need to be covered for the winter. These fruit trees are wrapped in various materials to protect them from adverse winter conditions. Insulating fruit trees with thin bark is especially important for the winter. This measure helps eliminate several problems simultaneously that can subsequently not only reduce fruit yields but also lead to their death.

You need to cover trees in your garden for the winter to:

• provide protection for the bark from bright sunlight;
• prevent the appearance of frost cracks;
• save plantings from damage by cold winds;
• prevent hares, mice and other rodents from gnawing the bark.

Where do preparations begin?

Before covering young trees for the winter, gardeners perform certain preparations. This is necessary to prevent diseases, eliminate pests, and reduce the risk of accidental plant damage during the winter season.

Before the first autumn frosts and before the direct insulation of individual young specimens of fruit-bearing trees, do the following:

1. The garden is cleared of fallen leaves, fruit, and branches. Particular attention is paid to the tree trunks during this cleanup, as these plant debris can contain pest larvae, bacteria, viruses, and fungal spores. If left untreated, they can potentially cause deterioration of young trees after the winter.
2. Young plants, as well as the soil around their trunks, are treated with a copper sulfate mixture. Use a solution of copper or iron sulfate according to the instructions. This treatment helps eliminate the vast majority of harmful insects that attack fruit crops.
3. If there are lichens or mosses on the shoots or trunk, they are cleared off, as such “neighborhood” can seriously harm young plants.
4. The lower part of the trunk is whitewashed with a solution of freshly slaked lime (2 kg dissolved in 10 liters of water and 500 g of copper sulfate added). This is done to prevent bark cracking due to temperature fluctuations in winter. Whitewashing also protects the young bark from rodents.

The final stage of preparing young fruit trees is autumn formative pruning. This is done to improve the tree's growth for the following year and remove any excess shoots that drain the plant's energy without providing any benefit.

Thin, non-woody branches are cut with sharp pruning shears, while thicker branches are cut with a pruning saw. The tool is disinfected before the procedure. After pruning, all damaged areas are treated with garden varnish, RanNet paste, or another similar product.

Timing of tree covering

Young trees should be covered for the winter before the first frost, but it's important not to insulate them too early. Gardeners determine the exact time to begin preparing garden crops for winter based on the region's climate and current weather.

First, look at the average daily temperature, which should be around +10˚ C. When the outside temperature drops to 0˚ C, the garden should be fully insulated. The approximate time for insulating young fruit trees is as follows:

1. South – Krasnodar, Crimea, Caucasus – the second half of November and the first ten days of December.
2. The central zone – Moscow region, Volga region and other areas – the last days of October, the first ten days of November.
3. Northern regions – the Urals, Siberia – from the end of September until the last ten days of October.
4. Far East – from the beginning of October until the end of October.
5. Leningrad region – from mid-October until the first days of November.

What do they recommend wrapping the trunks with?

The trunks of fruit trees grown in cold climates are recommended to be wrapped in various materials. The choice of the appropriate material depends on how much the outside temperature drops during the winter.

Each of the materials and methods for protecting fruit crops from frost and other adverse factors that affect young plants in winter has its advantages and disadvantages.

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Burlap, jute

Natural fabrics such as jute or burlap can be used as additional insulation for the trunk. These materials, by themselves, do not harm the tree – they allow air to pass through well and protect against cold winds. Bark covered with burlap or jute, provided it is well-ventilated, will not rot and will remain dry.

To further protect young fruit plants when using natural insulation, you need to:

1. Before wrapping the trunk, treat the material with insecticidal compounds, as pests can overwinter in the threads.
2. To protect against rodents, it is recommended to use additional poisonous or repellent impregnations.
3. When laying on the trunk, be sure to tie the material at the top and bottom.

However, when wet, all the positive aspects are negated. The moisture trapped in the fibers freezes. In warm weather, water causes natural fabrics to rot, which can spread to the tree and damage the bark. To overcome this drawback, tar is often used to impregnate the burlap—it repels moisture and deters pests.

Spunbond and other types of agrofibre

Agrofibre is a modern non-woven fabric that eliminates the drawbacks of natural covering materials. It is made from polymer compounds, the most common of which is polypropylene. Spunbond and Lutrasil are also common. It is recommended to additionally treat them with insect and rodent repellent.

The main advantages lie in a number of factors:

• breathable;
• does not absorb water;
• insulates the covered space;
• does not rot.

Building materials

To protect young trees from cold and wind in winter, you can use building materials such as insulation, flexible coverings, and seals. Mineral wool and similar materials are not suitable due to their looseness. Dense and flexible materials such as foam, laminate underlay, or roofing felt are more suitable.

Main rules of use:

1. Such materials should not be placed tightly against the tree trunk; a gap is required for ventilation.
2. If there are hares, mice and other rodents in the area, it is better to wrap the plant with roofing felt - they will not touch it.
3. Flexible materials can be tied to the tree itself, but they should not be tied tightly, as this can cause moisture to accumulate.

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If foam or other slab- or plate-like insulation is used, a box-like structure is formed around the tree. It is recommended to wrap the completed shelter with plastic film to prevent wind from passing through the cracks. It's best to bury the lower part in the ground after pre-treating it with insecticides and pesticides.

Film

Polyethylene film can also be classified as a building material, but it has its own unique characteristics. This material provides good protection from the wind and is resistant to rot. However, a greenhouse effect occurs under the film, causing moisture to accumulate around the trunk.

Therefore, when wrapping a tree, be sure to leave free space for air circulation.

Experienced gardeners recommend using 2-3 layers of plastic film and carefully securing them at the top and bottom with wire or tape, without applying any additional pressure. To strengthen the cocoon, you can tie the bundle along its entire length. Rodents don't touch the covering material, but insect repellent treatment is essential.

Necessary materials

To protect young fruit trees in winter, it is essential to prepare covering materials and ensure the safety of the plant from insects and rodents.

Simply wrapping the trunk in plastic wrap isn't enough. If rats, hares, and mice appear on the property, there's a risk of damaging the thin bark of young trees.

For proper protection, it is recommended to prepare the following materials:

• heat insulator – spruce branches, agrofibre, or other insulation;
• fabric for binding - wire, tape, polyethylene, rope;
• fence - plastic or metal hard mesh;
• Insecticides and pesticides – to destroy pests and repel them.

How to cover properly

The most vulnerable parts of young fruit trees to winter damage are the roots and trunk. They can freeze during significant temperature drops or be attacked by rodents and insects. To ensure adequate protection, after preparing all materials and treating the tree with pesticides, it's important to properly cover it.

The main rules are:

1. Be sure to fertilize the soil in the tree trunk circle and mulch it with fallen leaves, wood chips or sawdust.
2. The root area of ​​the trunk must be wrapped more tightly - this will provide additional protection from pests and temperatures.
3. After laying the film or agrofibre, you can tie spruce or juniper branches to the trunk - at least 1 m from the ground up.
4. If a lot of snow falls in winter, it is essential to rake it up to the trunks of young trees.
5. It is recommended to additionally spray the covering material and spruce branches with mothballs or another rodent repellent.
6. To protect the roots in the ground, it is better to place a protective net at a distance of 20-30 cm from the trunk.

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The tender bark of young fruit trees often attracts rodents—it's nutritious and easy to reach. It's recommended to compact all snow under the tree; this won't harm the plant, but it will make things more difficult for hares, rats, and mice.

It's best to bury the fence to a depth of at least two spade-lengths. It's recommended to point the thorns of the tied spruce branches downwards and hang dog hair on them.

Insulation of seedlings

Fruit tree seedlings are more susceptible to low temperatures until they are fully established in the soil. Therefore, if they have already been planted in the ground, it's essential to take extra measures to keep them warm.

The plant's trunk and branches must be wrapped in a compacting material, which can be covered with a layer of thin felt. Spruce branches or straw are placed on top of the mulch around the tree trunk, with an additional layer of either polyethylene film or roofing felt.

How to bury

Once fruit seedlings have been prepared but not planted in the ground, they also need to be provided with warmth for the winter. To do this, young trees are dug into the ground. Before this, be sure to treat the root system of the seedlings with antiseptic solutions. A 12-hour period is sufficient for the plants to absorb moisture and kill any pests.

The excavation is carried out according to the following standards:

1. The site for the seedlings is chosen away from manure and bushes so that a lot of moisture does not accumulate in the spring.
2. The trench is prepared to a depth of at least 40-60 cm, located from west to east, and the southern slope is made gentle.
3. The seedlings are distributed at a distance of about 30 cm from each other, with the roots facing north.
4. When digging in, be sure to add the first portion of soil under the trunks to avoid damaging the root system.
5. When the trench is completely filled with soil, it is compacted and covered with sawdust and agrofibre.

Each time you add soil to the trench, you should additionally water it to compact it. Any exposed branches of the seedlings should be further protected with straw, pine branches, or wrapped in agrofibre. If the insulation is lightweight, be sure to press it down. Walking on this part of the site is not recommended, as the plants in the trench could be damaged by carelessness. If there is a lot of snow on the site, you can pile it onto the digging site.

Covering and insulating young fruit trees and their seedlings for the winter is not a difficult task. However, to properly prepare for the cold weather, it's important to review all available information on the subject. General guidelines for protecting plants from frost and rodents are similar, but individual fruit tree species have their own characteristics, such as resistance or greater susceptibility.