Thanksgiving is a good target date to have young, smooth-barked tree trunks in your yard wrapped for winter. The bark of young deciduous trees is quite tender and particularly susceptible to sunscald, a condition where the tree trunk on the south facing side cracks from the stress of radical temperature changes in the bark from the sun during cold weather.[1] It is important to wrap trees every year until the bark begins to roughen.

Whether you choose the paper tree wrap or a plastic tree guard, wrap the trunk at least to the point where the first branches come off.[2] Masking tape is usually sticky enough to hold the tree wrap in place through the winter. Be sure, though to remove any tree wrapping by late March to prevent girdling of the trunks.

Other winter preparations for your trees include:

-adding an 18 inch high collar of hardware cloth to discourage damage caused by mice and rabbits;

-mulching the roots with a 6-8 inch deep layer around but not in contact with the trunk to prevent frost damage;

- and watering these trees regularly and deeply right up until the ground freezes.

Evergreens, though not as prone to sunscald damage, are quite sensitive to desiccation from winter's cold dry air. A barrier of burlap or fresh cut boughs should be placed on the south and windward exposures of newly planted evergreens.[3]