Autumn: Transition & Preparation for Winter

What changes:

• Leaves change color, drop off.
• Tree metabolism slows.
• Soil temperature drops, root growth slows.

Autumn care tips:

• Clean up fallen leaves and debris. Decaying leaves can harbor disease; compost what you can, remove what you can’t.
• Final pruning. Remove any hazardous or dead limbs before snow and ice arrive. Avoid pruning too late in fall (very close to freezing), as wounds heal slowly in cold.
• Mulch again. Replenish mulch to insulate roots during winter.
• Water well. Before the ground freezes, give trees a good deep watering. Drought stress going into winter can lead to winterkill.