Symptoms
Winter burn damage appears after the snow and ice accumulation on evergreen material finally melts in the early spring. Typically the leaves or needles of the evergreen show signs of sagging, wilting and yellowing.
This discolored foliage can linger on the plant for a majority of the spring and finally falling off as the season progresses.
What Will Happen To My Landscape?
The foliage of a plant is how the tree or shrub takes in sunlight to conduct photosynthesis, which is how the plant survives. Without the proper amount of foliage the plant cannot produce enough food to sustain itself and it will die.
What Can I Do About Winter Burn?
Some local hardware stores carry anti-desiccant or vapor barrier sprays that homeowners can apply to seal in their plants. This spray should be applied according to the product label of the winter guard product. Be sure that the product can attain the proper spray height to cover the evergreen material. You can also put up wind barriers such as burlap to keep the plant material from becoming dried out over the winter months. Controlling winter burn can be a timely and unpleasant weekend activity.
How Can Natural Way Help Me?
Here at Natural Way we have the equipment and certified professionals who are used to dealing with winter burn and other problems all season long. Natural Way can provide a late fall anti-desiccant spray to the landscape that will help control winter burn and minimize overall damage.

Photo of frost and winter injury (General) -> Credit : Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, www.forestryimages.org – Winter injury on the ornamental Canadian Yew.

Photo of dessication (wind burn) – credit: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Archive, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, www.forestryimages.org – winter burn damage to foliage above winter snow pack in a plantation