All Seasons Tree Care Tips

Check Moisture And General Tree Health

The use of mulch has a number of benefits, one of which is that it helps your trees, plants, and flowers retain moisture. Another benefit of using mulch is that it discourages the growth of weeds.

Checking the moisture level of the soil between 4 and 6 inches below the surface on a weekly basis is recommended. The dirt ought to have some moisture in it, but it must not be drenched.

If you have an irrigation system that runs through your landscaping, you should make sure to check it for any clogs, leaks, or other damage that may have occurred.

Less frequent watering with increased total volume should be applied to the trees as the growing season progresses. It is recommended to use around 10 gallons of water for every inch of the trunk's diameter.

In order to prevent the trees and plants that you want to keep around from having their nutrients and moisture taken away by weeds, make sure that you completely eliminate any weeds that do appear in the area where your trees, plants, and flowers are located.

Fertilise Trees

Make sure that your trees are getting the necessary fertilisation, as this is the final step. This ought to be done prior to the beginning of the most vigourous growing season for trees and shrubs. After that, all you need to do is apply a slow-release fertiliser to your plants so that you may increase their resilience to pests, bad weather, and diseases while also replenishing their nutrients.

Summer Tree Care Tips For Protecting Your Trees

The maintenance of trees is an ongoing job throughout the year; however, it is essential to keep in mind that at various points in the year, your trees have varying requirements. Even while one might make the argument that trees that are growing experience conditions that are similar to summer on more or less a constant basis, there are a few specific things you'll want to do in order to get ready for the peak of summer.

Because every tree and growth environment is unique, it is critical to maintain a flexible mindset and adapt your strategy to the needs of the trees in your care at all times. On the other hand, you should discover that the four suggestions that follow aid your trees remain healthier and look their best throughout the whole summer.

Apply A Fresh Layer Of Mulch Over The Roots

Mulch contributes to the overall health of your trees, particularly their roots, and does so in a number of different ways. Nevertheless, the ability of mulch to insulate the roots from high temperatures and to keep the soil's moisture content stable are the two most significant ways in which it can be of assistance throughout the summertime.

You can choose from a wide range of different mulches, but organic mulches, bark mulches, and wood mulches are typically considered to be the superior options. It is important to avoid stacking mulch up against the tree stem since this might stimulate the growth of fungi and bacteria. Instead, make sure that you distribute a layer that is between 2 and 4 inches deep across as much of the root zone as possible. Worrying about tree removal? Then, Tree Amigos tree removal solution  is the right choice!

Develop An Irrigation Plan

The summers in Southern California are typically parched, and it rains only occasionally throughout the region. Some trees are able to weather conditions similar to drought without any additional irrigation, but in order for other trees to make it through the summer, they will require some kind of assistance.

If you aren't already familiar with the water requirements of your trees, you should do some research on them and then design a strategy to meet their requirements. Find a way to give your trees the additional water they require, even if there are watering restrictions in place, if your trees are going to require some additional water. It is possible to water trees in a very effective manner using a variety of methods, the most notable of which are drip irrigation systems; thus, if you are in need of some assistance, do not be afraid to get in touch with a helpful arborist in your neighbourhood.

Ensure That Your Tree’s Roots And Trunk Are Protected

When the kids are out of school and the tourist season is in full flow, the potential exists for a significant increase in the amount of foot traffic that your trees experience. As a direct consequence of this, they run the risk of being vandalised or intentionally damaged. And despite the fact that you won't be able to shelter your trees from all of these dangers entirely, you should still do everything in your power to protect them.

Mulch can help protect the roots of a tree from light foot traffic, but if your tree is located along a path that is often travelled, you may want to add fences or other types of barriers to further protect its roots. You may even be able to place other plants to help keep people away from the trunks and roots of your trees — a handful of spiky holly shrubs can convince most casual onlookers that getting too close would be unwise.

Inspect The Tree’s Health While The Canopy Is Full

It is essential to do routine checks on the health and wellbeing of your trees since crown dieback, which is characterised by dead or decaying branches in the canopy, is one of the most common indications of deteriorating health or stress. On the other hand, this can be challenging for deciduous trees, which are characterised by the seasonal loss of their leaves.

The summer, on the other hand, is an excellent time to inspect the canopies of your trees because this is the time of year when the tree should be displaying the most number of leaves. If you find any branches that are no longer living, you should get an arborist to evaluate the tree as soon as possible.

Fall Tree Care Tips

It is best to begin preparing trees for the winter at the beginning of the fall season to ensure that they get off to a strong start the following spring. In the fall, preventative care and certain sound cultural practises help trees maintain their health and vigour throughout the winter and produce an environment that is conducive to healthy growth in the spring. Here are five helpful hints regarding trees:

Scout For Pruning Issues

It is in your best interest to arrange tasks related to trimming after the leaves have fallen. In order to make effective selective cuts, it is much simpler to observe the branch structure of deciduous trees and shrubs. This makes it possible to prune them more precisely. Find the sections of the plant that don't contribute anything useful, and then cut them off.

These include any branches that are broken, dead, or crossing another branch that need to be removed. Additionally, look for and remove any epicormic sprouts that may have emerged in the canopy, as well as any basal sprouts that may have emerged from around the trunk or root collar.

Feeding For The Future

In general, the fall is the time of year when tree roots develop the most new root growth. This is due to the fact that root systems are essential as storage organs or banks, which are responsible for reserving energy for later use. In the spring, when shoot growth, leafing, and flowering occur, these starch reserves will be converted into active energy that can be used whenever it is needed.

The application of fertiliser at this time will keep the nutrient levels in the soil at a healthy level, as well as boost root formation, which will encourage new growth in the spring. Those newly planted trees as well as those that are still relatively young are the ones that benefit the most from additional feeding. Fertilization is not necessary or necessary for all types of trees. For further information, please see this paper on the process of fertilisation.

Complete Cultural Practices

It is always to the tree's advantage to renew the mulch in order to provide the root systems with an additional layer of protection against the extremes of temperature. This helps maintain the soil's moisture levels over the winter months, which are often drier than other seasons.

Maintaining a layer of composted mulch that is two to three inches thick over the root zone of the tree and the surrounding environment provides excellent protection. In addition, if protective wraps are required for trees that have recently been planted or have weak bark, now might be a good time to consider applying them.

Additionally, this would be a good opportunity to evaluate any current wraps to ensure that they are functional, are not wrapped too tightly around the trunk, and do not harbour any hidden pest problems.

Water Needed, Still

Trees can take a beating from the dry, chilly air and lack of precipitation that can occasionally be experienced throughout the fall and early winter months. To protect the roots from injury and provide a healthy start to the growing season, augment the existing irrigation system with deep watering.

Only water your plants if the temperature is expected to be above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Water your plants around midday so they have time to absorb the moisture before the nighttime temps drop below freezing. It is recommended that during times when there is little to no rainfall going into winter, an application of around 5 gallons of water per inch of tree diameter be made. This will be sufficient.

Take Inventory

Checking your website to see if there are any open positions is an excellent idea right now. You should look around your yard for any possible planting spots so that you can add new trees in the spring. The research that is done throughout the winter provides plenty of time for making sound decisions, such as the appropriate selection of species and sites that are suited.

Top Tips For Dealing With Snow And Ice On Your Trees

Here are some of the most important things you should keep in mind if you want to make sure that your trees survive even the worst portions of winter. When snow or frost falls in your region, it is important to keep this in mind, since it is something we urge you do.

Don’t Shake Branches Covered In Ice And Snow

It is important to resist the urge to shake the branches of your trees that have a substantial quantity of snow and ice on them because doing so could cause the snow and ice to fall off. Perhaps a minor shake of the branches could result in damage or even the branches breaking off.

So, what are some good options for you? You have two options: either you can brush the ice and snow off of yourself, which is acceptable so long as it isn't too heavy, or you can wait for it to melt on its own.

If you do decide to brush off the snow, do it cautiously and quietly, and pay great attention to your surroundings to ensure that you are not putting yourself in harm's way. For instance, you shouldn't stand directly under the branches, you should brush less forcefully, and you should wear gloves.

If a snowstorm causes branches to break, you should make every effort to get rid of them as soon as you possibly can. In this way, we can make certain that the tree or shrub will have an easier time recovering during the spring season.

Keep Watering Your Trees

Even though it is not particularly warm outdoors, and the trees in your yard may not be getting as much sun as they normally do, they still need to be watered on a consistent basis. Maintain a consistent watering schedule for your trees and shrubs until the first hard freeze of the season. This article will help you make a decision about tree stumping and removal.  Here at Tree Amigo, we’re passionate about trees!

Stop watering the trees in the event of a severe freeze because doing so will just result in the formation of additional ice in the surrounding region. However, if the trees are kept adequately hydrated throughout the winter, they will have a greater chance of surviving the harsh weather.

Prune Your Trees

Especially if you live in an area that receives a lot of snow, you might notice that your shrubs and trees are breaking apart. As we have mentioned in the past, it is essential to get rid of broken or otherwise damaged branches as soon as it is physically possible to do so in order to prevent further problems.

If you practise regular pruning during the winter, you should be able to reduce the amount of damage and breaking that occurs throughout the season. Think about doing your pruning at the start of the cold season and keeping up with it all the way through spring.

Consider Using Salt

If there is a significant accumulation of ice and snow, you may have more snow and ice to remove from trees than can be achieved by simply brushing them off. In situations like this, employing salt or other substances that facilitate melting could prove useful.

Before you use a tool like this around your trees, you will need to take into consideration the fact that these agents might cause damage to your trees and plants by sucking water away from the roots of the trees and plants. If you really must make use of anything, do your best to do it with as little of it as possible.

To give one example, the evergreen trees in your yard are going to be extremely sensitive to the effects of salt. The simple fact that these trees do not receive enough water causes their needles and leaves to become brown, which is a sign that they are damaged.

It is recommended that you construct a barrier around the trees and plants that you intend to use salt or other melting agents on in order to protect them from any potential runoff. To reduce the extent of the damage even further, you should combine the salt with some gravel and sand.

When In Doubt, Call A Professional

In the event that an abnormally high amount of snow and ice falls in your region and you are unsure how to deal with it, do not be afraid to get in touch with a reliable local tree care professional. However, it is always best to err on the side of caution rather than regret, and this is true not just for your own safety but also for the safety of your trees.

Pruning Trees

The most popular kind of routine tree maintenance is known as pruning. Landscape trees, as opposed to forest trees, require a higher level of maintenance in order to preserve both their structural integrity and their attractiveness. In addition, it is necessary to prune trees in order to gain an understanding of tree biology. Improper pruning can cause long-term damage to the tree and reduce its lifespan.

Because each cut has the ability to alter the growth of the tree, it is essential to keep in mind that no branch should ever be chopped without first having a purpose in mind. Removing dead branches from a tree to improve its form and increase its level of safety is one of the most common reasons for pruning. Other reasons for pruning include increasing the amount of light and air that can reach plants that are located lower on the tree, as well as taking corrective and preventative measures.

When To Prune

The vast majority of light, routine pruning, which is removing limbs that are diseased, dead, or otherwise unhealthy, may be done at any time of the year with relatively little impact on the tree.

As a general rule, growth and wound closure are optimised when pruning occurs before to the spring growth flush. This allows for maximum potential for both. Because of this, it is best to avoid doing extensive pruning on living tissue shortly after the spring growth flush, especially on weaker trees.

Pruning wounds can allow disease-causing organisms to enter a tree, which can lead to the spread of diseases like oak wilt and other tree diseases. As a result, susceptible trees should never have their branches cut during times when the disease is actively spreading.

Pruning Techniques

It's possible that some kinds of pruning are going to be required in order to keep a mature tree healthy, safe, and attractive.

• The process of cleaning involves the removal from the top of a tree of any branches that are either dead, dying, diseased, poorly attached, or have a low level of vitality.
• When trees are raised, the lower branches are pruned off in order to make space for buildings, automobiles, people, and vistas.
• A tree's crown can be thinned off by a process known as "reduction," which is typically done to ensure that power lines can pass underneath the tree. The most effective method for bringing down the height of a tree or spreading its canopy is to prune back the leaders and branch terminals to secondary branches that are substantial enough to take over the duties of the terminals (at least one-third the diameter of the cut stem). When compared to topping, reduction allows for the form and structural integrity of the tree to be preserved.
• The process of reducing the density of foliage at the crown periphery, which is known as thinning, is occasionally carried out with the purpose of increasing wind or light penetration for aesthetic reasons and to stimulate the development of internal foliage.

Pruning Young Trees

The process of structural pruning is necessary in order to produce a tree with a robust structure and a form that is acceptable. If trees are given the appropriate pruning when they are young, they will have a reduced need for corrective pruning when they are older.

It is crucial to keep in mind that each cut has the ability to alter the growth of the tree; as a result, it is necessary to establish an objective for why the tree will be pruned. When dealing with young trees, the goal is to strengthen the tree structure. Poor pruning can lead the tree to sustain damage that it must grow over, which causes the wound to remain permanently within the tree.

Pruning Palms

The vast majority of palm tree pruning is done to remove dead or dying fronds, inflorescences (flowering) and/or fruiting clusters, particularly those that may pose a possible risk to the general public coconuts.

In most cases, pruning should be done at least once every two years. Coconuts, on the other hand, can have their branches pruned as frequently as once every three to four months to reduce the risk of harm or damage caused by the heavy fruit. It is imperative that every precaution be taken to protect the terminal bud from being harmed in any way. Palms that have been over-pruned could have sluggish development and might attract pests.

Only the old, dead, and lower fronds should be removed in general, unless another method is required for removal. There are times when it is possible to harvest live green fronds, but only in cases when the frond shaft has dipped below a horizontal plane. However, it has not been established that removing living fronds from which the shaft is more than 45 degrees above horizontal will lessen the amount of future pruning that will be required.

When pruning palms, climbing spikes should never be used since they leave permanent wounds on the palm trunk and should never be utilised. In addition to this, wounds that are found on the palms do not heal.

Don’t Top Trees!

The term "topping" refers to the practise of cutting tree branches to stubs or to lateral branches that are not substantial enough to take on the job of the tree's terminal branch. Topping is a common method for reducing the size of a tree, although it is widely considered to be one of the most destructive forms of tree trimming.

The act of topping can result in an intolerable risk, as well as stress and death for the tree. Additionally, it is a costly endeavour that results in the loss of the tree's natural form.

There are several alternatives to topping, such as eliminating little branches all the way back to their site of origin or trimming bigger limbs down to a lateral branch that is substantial enough to take on the job of the terminal branch. In certain cases, the best approach is to cut down the tree and plant one of a species that is more suited to the location where it is located.

Make it a point to discuss potential substitutions for topping with a qualified arborist in your area.