Mild Minnesota Winter

The holidays are behind us and a new year has begun. Just like alot of the U.S., Minnesota is having an extremely mild winter. I think the warm temperatures we are experiencing will help the trees in general weather the winter better given the lack of moisture we had in the fall of 2011.

Large Spruce TreeWhen we have an extremely dry fall followed by a winter without much snow cover the frost tends to go much deeper and that is harsher on trees. Hopefully by spring we will get out of this dry spell and back to some normal precipitation conditions.

Given the mild conditions, now is a great time to get out and do the pruning on your trees that you did not get done in the fall. The general rule for timing of pruning is if the month has an “R” in the spelling it is safe to prune. With the leaves off the shade trees, it is also easier to see the actual branching of the tree to make your decisions what to prune off.

Of course it is never too early to start thinking about and planning your spring tree planting projects. We have alot of information on our website about the trees we grow for sale at Arbor Hill Tree Farm as well as the services we offer to help you with your project.

We will also be an exhibitor at the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center that takes place Feb. 29 – March 4th. We will be at booth 1244, so plan on stopping by to see us.