Snow cover early in the winter is very good for your trees and shrubs. It acts as a wet blanket for your trees, insulating the soil from freezing, while slowly melting and watering roots. This allows a whole riot of activities that are essential to tree health. If we don’t have snow cover, it’s even more important to leave the natural leaf litter beneath the tree canopy, because leaf mulch, like the snow is an insulating blanket that keeps the soil warm and biologically active. (click here to see Mulching Abstract)
So what is going on beneath the snow white cover? You’ll be shocked to know that there is a mating dance happening between tree roots and fungi in the soil. The fungi need sugar for food to survive and the trees have those sugars stored in the roots. The Fungi have nutrients that the trees need, like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other micronutrients.
Those tricky tree roots actually lure the fungus by secreting a sugar rich syrup like perfume that attracts the fungus. “Come and get me fungus!” The fungus falls head over heals for the tree root and penetrates and infects the root cells. Then the fungus wraps its arms, called fungal hyphae, all around the root. The two actually begin to grow together so closely that you can’t tell where the tree root begins and the fungal hyphae end. That’s why we call it mycorrhizae. mykos=fungus riza=roots. Literally fungus-roots. Naturally, when Arborsmith fertilizes your trees we use beneficial Mycorrhizal fungi.
The tree allows the fungus to have some of its sugar in exchange for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are essential to tree growth. Another benefit of the association is that the fungal hyphae greatly extend the surface area of the root, making it much more effective at harvesting nutrients and water. The root is so pleased with this new source of minerals that it doesn’t need to grow as long, allowing the fungus to branch out and harvest for it. That smart tree root has given up just a little sugar, gained the nutrients it needed, got access to more water and saved energy in the exchange by not having to extend itself out so far.
Not far under the snow there are also a whole host of soil microbes, bacteria, virus, fungus, wiggly worms, and bugs that you can’t see that are digesting the leaves and twigs on the forest floor, living, dying and creating food for the spring growth spurt. Things are never as quiet as you might think under the snow in your back yard.
In February the sap begins to rise and guess what that means?
Stay tuned for Maple sugaring time.
How do you tell if a tree or shrub branch is alive or dead in the snow and cold of winter?
Mother Nature's Moment
by Lesley Bruce Smith ISA Certified Arborist