As Cold Weather Settles In, Protect Your Trees And Shrubs From Icy Temperatures

BOSTON (CBS) -- With the more consistent bursts of cold weather, now is the time to protect your shrubs and trees this winter.

Given our extreme drought this year, our plants need extra help to prevent damage. Late November & December is when you spray the first round of treatment on your broad leaf evergreens.

"The plants are especially stressed this year, more so than in the past. [You want to look at] protecting them this year with an anti-desiccant spray," says Quentin Nowland, Michael Lynch Landscape & Tree Service, Inc.

Once the ground freezes, the trees will have a hard time getting water from the soil.  They'll use stored moisture from leaves and stems.

"What we're trying to do is really retain that moisture.  Think of it like a waxy, non-pesticide application, not harmful at all. That will treat the plant or evergreen shrub or tree and really protect that through the winter months," says Nowland.

After the trees and shrubs get sprayed, there is no danger to kids or pets.

"It might be like, don't walk on the lawn for half an hour, other than that it's fine," says Kara Britton, a Wayland homeowner.

The $75 to $125 cost is little in comparison to what you could lose.

"Only because of the investment that you put into your lawn, or your house, or your car, you want to maintain it. This is just maintenance," says Britton.

Homeowners will need to do one additional application in late January or early February for this spray because of the length of our New England winters.