- Fri, Mar 2020
- |
- Pulla Tree Service
Trees can be the factors that make your yard look more beautiful. But, without proper maintenance, they can start to die. The certified arborists from Pulla Tree Service LLC bring you five tree care tips to keep your trees healthy!
If you’ve wondered how to take care of plants and trees, then this is the right blog for you! You’ll learn how to give your trees the right maintenance so that they stay in great condition.
These tips work great for newly planted trees or mature trees. So, read carefully and start taking care of your trees!
Follow These 5 Tree Care Tips for Much Healthier Trees
If you’ve ever wondered how to help a tree grow, then you need to keep reading! These tree care tips will ensure that your trees remain beautiful and thriving.
You’ll learn the best methods and processes to keep a tree healthy. No matter which season of the year it is, your trees will always look alive. As a result, your entire yard will look stunning.
The best tips to keep your trees alive are:
- Choose the right type of tree
- Mulching
- Pruning
- Fertilization
- Proper watering
These care tips are essential for any homeowner trying to maintain their trees alive. If you follow them, then your trees will remain in top condition over their lifespan.
Choose the Right Type of Tree
Proper tree care starts by choosing the right type of tree. There are lots of beautiful trees around the world, but not all of them can thrive in Connecticut. It’s best to pick trees that are native to the state.
Here are some trees that are native to Connecticut, and that could thrive if cared for properly:
- Black Birch
- Eastern Hemlock
- Northern Red Oak
- Red Maple
- Sugar Maple
It’s vital that you know your tree will remain healthy even when it’s fully grown, and that starts by planting it in the right place. So, it’s not only choosing the right tree but choosing the right place.
You need to take into account your yard’s limitations when planting a tree. It’s vital that you know the maximum height and spread of your tree. This is so that you plant it somewhere where it will grow freely.
Also, you need to consider sun exposure and soil conditions. You can request this information in the place where you buy your tree or also look for it online.
Taking into account this information you’ll make sure that all your trees stay healthy and optimize their growth.
Protect the Root Zone by Mulching
A tree’s CRZ is its critical root zone. This area is where you will find the most critical roots of a tree. In other words, this is one of the areas that need to be taken care of the right way. And, the way to do that is with mulching.
Proper mulching provides the following benefits:
- Soil insulation
- Prevents soil erosion
- Water retention
- Prevents weed growth and pests
- Keeps the right nutrients
The best way to apply mulch to your tree’s CRZ is by vertically laying it down. You do this by drilling deep holes in the soil on the centers around your trees. Then, you work your way to the edge of the critical root zone. When this is done, you will have a grid of holes that go to the edge of the CRZ.
Now, it’s time to mulch the tree. You will fill the holes with your mulch and spread some on the surface of the root zone. This is to get better results out of your mulching. You should mulch your tree at least two times a year.
Proper Care Involves Proper Pruning
An essential part of tree care is pruning, especially for newly planted trees. Pruning consists of removing broken, diseased, or damaged branches. Some of the benefits of pruning include increased airflow and a reduction in pests.
Also, pruning helps in developing a strong tree structure. As a result, your tree may be able to stand against harsh weather compared to other trees.
If you don’t know how to prune a tree, then you can learn here. Some of the most common ways of tree pruning are crown thinning, raising, and reduction.
Crown thinning is when you remove certain branches to promote light penetration and air to flow throughout the tree’s crown. This will also improve your tree’s structure and prevent any pests from living in your tree.
Crown raising involves removing branches below the tree’s crown. This is simply to provide a clear way for pedestrians, cars, or buildings.
Crown reduction happens when a tree has grown too much and has surpassed its limitations. It’s a way to cut some branches that are intercepting with electric or telephone lines while giving your tree a natural look.
Before you start pruning your tree, make sure that you know what its needs are. This is so that you prune your tree the right way. As a result, you’ll see how all your trees will thrive and look healthy.
Fertilizing for Tree Care
Another way to keep a tree healthy is with fertilization. Your trees need the right nutrients to remain in great condition. Thus, the way to achieve that is with a tree fertilizer.
It is preferred to fertilize your trees during the early spring or summer to achieve the best results. Also, fertilization depends on the tree’s age. The way you apply fertilizer will vary if a tree is young or mature.
If you just planted a new tree, then fertilization should be minimal. Also, you don’t fertilizers with a lot of nitrogen. This is because you could burn your tree’s roots.
For young trees that are growing at a fast rate, you can increase the amount of fertilizer. That way, you’ll promote rapid growth for your trees.
When you have mature trees, then you can decrease the amount of fertilizer you apply. Since they are mature, their growth rate starts to slow down. This means that they don’t need as much maintenance as they needed when they were young. It’s important that you still fertilize them but at much lower quantities.
Before you start fertilizing, make sure to buy the right type of fertilizer. If you do this the right way, then your trees will get the nutrients they need.
Water Your Trees Properly
Watering your trees properly will make sure that they stay healthy through every season of the year, even the wintertime. But, there’s a dilemma of the amount of water that you should give them. This is because it varies through the different seasons.
Watering in the spring season slows down as the rain can leave the soil damp. You should still be aware of the condition of your soil. If you see that it is dry, then water once a week.
In the summertime, you could water your trees every 10 days to four weeks if you deep water them. If the weather is too extreme, then we recommend at least once a week. You should be on the lookout for crisp or yellow branches. If they look like this, then your tree needs water.
During the fall, we recommend watering once a week or whenever the soil looks dry.
When the winter comes around, you should be watering at midday. This is to ensure that the water soaks in before nighttime freezing. You should water when there’s no snow and the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. During these dry periods, you should water once or twice every month.
These care tips will ensure that your trees remain healthy and in optimal condition. Follow them and your trees will thank you for it!