Winter can be critical for your trees.

Yews, rhododendrons and similar evergreen plants are especially attractive during winter and don’t seem to be vulnerable to cold weather. No wonder they are so popular.

Accordingly, most people think evergreens aren’t damaged by the cold, ice and snow of winter. But they are wrong. Evergreen trees and shrubs can be damaged.

Heavy snowfalls often break branches of spreading evergreens. The shape of some of the upright varieties with multiple stems may be changed, too.

During a heavy snow, inspect your evergreens. Use a broom to brush off snow as it accumulates on the branches. If you wait until the storm is over, the plants may already have been damaged.

By protecting them from snow damage, you can expect to enjoy them in the years to come.

Inspect your deciduous tree trunks for large animal and rodent damage. Make sure that the plastic and wire tree trunk guards are secure. Adjust or replace dislodged or broken guards and inspect the tree trunk for damage.

Remove dead, diseased or broken tree or shrub branches. Seek assistance for removing unsafe branches near homes, outbuildings and electrical wires.

Photograph tree branch structure in preparation for late winter pruning. The leafless branches afford the opportunity to evaluate overlapping branches and overall tree shape and size. Consult an arborist if needed.

Let it snow! Snow is about 90 percent air. The insulation this provides through the trapped pockets of air holds in heat and prevents cold weather from lowering soil temperature. The snow-cover prevents soil fluctuations, keeping soil temperatures close to 32 degrees.

Consistent soil temperatures result in less winter damage to plants. Deep snow also protects flower and leaf buds from drying out from winter winds.

In spring, melting snow provides plant roots with needed moisture as roots and shoots begin to emerge from winter dormancy.

Check for winter injury in strawberries. Minimize crown injury of your strawberry plants by checking your strawberry bed. Check for the following:

Inadequate mulch cover. The settled mulch should be three to four inches thick and loose enough so that it will not mat (or pack) and smother plants. Add more mulch if necessary.

Exposed areas. Any exposed plants should be recovered with mulch or provide some kind of a windbreak.

Crown injury can be expected where plantings have been improperly mulched and exposed to wind or were over-supplied with nitrogen and moisture after mid-September.

Check stored fruits and vegetables. One of the reasons for laboring so hard in your garden all summer is to savor the flavor in the cold days of winter. But if you haven’t been careful about storage temperatures, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Most root crops should be kept as near 32 degrees as possible, without freezing, and under rather high humidity.

Potatoes can be kept at slightly higher temperatures with moderate humidity. Winter squash will keep well in temperatures of about 55 degrees in a moderately dry area. Dried seeds, beans, peas, and onions should be stored in a cool and dry location.

Apples are probably the easiest fruits to store, and they’ll keep well if kept as near 32 degrees as possible, in an area with moderate humidity.

It’s a good idea to check stored produce regularly and remove spoiling fruits and vegetables.

“Growing Green” is contributed by Diane Dorn, Lehigh County Extension Office Staff, and Master Gardeners. Information: Lehigh County Extension Office, 610-391-9840; Northampton County Extension Office, 610-813-6613.