Surviving the Winter
Trees are typically considered to be composed of at least 50% water. During the winter low temperatures can cause the water inside your tree to freeze. Unfortunately, trees don’t have the ability to move or flock to warmer climates so they have to survive on their own. Thankfully snow keeps at least the bottom of the tree insulated from the more extreme temperatures. However, the trunk and crown are left at the mercy of Mother Nature. In order to survive the cruel winter your tree starts its energy storing process in the end of the summer. There are three main methods used by trees to prevent the freezing of its cells.
The first is to convert its starches during the fall to glucose which operates as an anti freezing agent. The second method is that the tree transforms its membranes during the transitional period so that they are more flexible. This process makes the water inside the tree able to move between membranes without becoming still and vulnerable to freezing. The third process is that the tree’s cells will become viscous in order to prevent solidifying. For the most part these three methods are used by all trees in order to prevent freezing during the winter.