Gardening columnist Don Kinzler recommends wrapping the trunks of young trees each fall to prevent winter injury and animal damage.

Why do some people wrap tree trunks in paper for the winter? Should I be doing this? Expert opinions vary widely on this topic. Many believe that thin-skinned young trees – especially those that ...

Q: Someone told me that I needed to wrap the trunk of my new pistachio tree. Do you agree? If so, why? A: Absolutely. I use the term “non-negotiable” for wrapping the trunks of recently ...

Wrapping the trunk of a new pistachio tree is recommended to avoid the bark drying and cracking from full sunlight.

Start wrapping the tree at the base, overlapping one-third with each turn, which will enable the wrap to shed water and keep the trunk dry.

Wrap up to the first branch or higher if possible. If a tree is chewed on all the way around the trunk, it may not come back in the spring.

Tree wrap is available in large rolls at many garden centers and nurseries. It is a thick crepe paper-type material that insulates the trunk from temperature fluctuations.

Painting or white-washing trunks is much better than trunk wrap. White latex paint diluted with water to about a 50/50 mix works well.

Trees With our winter temperature fluctuations and intense, low-angle sunlight, it’s wise to wrap the trunks of young, thin-barked trees such as honeylocust, linden, maple and fruit trees.