Trees, like all living things, need protection from winter’s advances as the harsh conditions can cause them significant damage. The most common winter tree dangers include the following conditions: sun scald, foliar damage to evergreens, root damage, mechanical damage from snow and animal damage. General rules to help keep your trees healthy throughout the winter are: plant hardy, avoid planting in locations where there will be large volumes of ice or snow, avoid planting where road salt is likely to spray or wash into the soil, don’t prune after mid-summer, stop fertilizing six weeks before first frost, proper watering throughout the year keeps plants healthy and helps them withstand winter weather.