Protecting Trees from Cold with Ice in Sioux Falls

Put this under the category of "Say what?!?" If you happened to drive by the Lewis store near 69th and Louise you may have noticed a problem with the trees in the parking lot. Believe it or not - this was intentional.

One of the biggest problems that South Dakota, and many northern states, face in the Spring is that many trees begin to bud when the weather turns warmer - as you would expect. But as many of us in Sioux Falls know, just because it is warm today, doesn't mean it is going to be warm tomorrow.

In order to protect new trees from sudden Spring freezes many nurseries will actually run sprinklers over the trees so that the water freezes on the trees, thus protecting them from the cold. Still confused?

Let Michigan State University explain:

When you use sprinklers to prevent freezing injury, you are using the energy that water releases when it freezes, and changes from a liquid to a solid, to keep the temperature in the ice right at the freezing point – 32 degrees F. As long as you keep the ice wet, the ice temperature will stay at 32 degrees F.

So, by "freezing" the trees they are actually protecting them from temperatures below freezing. Cool!

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