Let's Do the Tree Wrap
No, I'm not asking you to break out into song, although your plants probably would like it. Tree wraps are used to protect young trees in winter from damage. Hungry mice and voles love to hide in mulch and snow around the base of trees. They can munch on the tender bark all winter without you even knowing it. The result is a girdled tree in spring that will be weakened and may actually die.
To prevent the damage, place a simple tree wrap around the base of the tree. Tree wraps come in many forms. Some are like a flexible tape, others are plastic, and some are simply wire mesh cylinders. The key is to bury the wrap about 1- to 2-inches into the soil around the tree and wrap up as high as the usual snow line. When in doubt go higher. Sometimes mice will girdle trees right below the snow line and, depending on the winter, that can be a few feet up the trunk.
Another protective practice is to whitewash young tree bark with a white outdoor latex paint. This can help prevent bark cracking in winter. On a cold, clear day the sun will heat up the bark and it will expand. Once the sun sets, the bark contracts quickly in the cold air and can crack. Whitewashing prevents the bark from absorbing so much heat and prevents the cracking. Use the whitewash above the tree wrap to protect the whole trunk. There's no need to paint the branches.
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