Trees are the perfect addition to your home’s yard. They provide a natural shade and boost your house’s value, not to mention how beneficial it is for your health to be in touch with nature.
However, it can be tricky to keep them healthy, especially if you don’t know much about the subject. Trees are typically strong once they grow, but the early stages are the most difficult. Even then, a tree needs proper care to remain healthy for years.
Today, I put together some essential tips on taking care of your trees to ensure they grow healthy and keep your yard attractive!
Water Your Trees Correctly
Water is an essential element for plants, humans, animals, and any other living being – it’s pretty much the reason life is possible on this planet. But like with everything, balance is essential for survival.
Too little can cause your tree to die by drought, and too much of it can cause your plants to die as well. Therefore, to keep them healthy you need to irrigate them correctly.
But what is the correct amount of water? It might depend on the type of your tree, but they usually need around 1 to 3 irrigations per week in their first 3 years, while established and mature trees need only water once per month, including in dry months.
Plus, keep an eye on the way you water your trees. If your irrigation method isn’t allowing the water to get into roots and your tree to absorb it, you should change it. The most effective watering system is drip irrigation, which saves water and easily delivers water to the roots. Overhead sprinklers are also a good alternative choice.
Regardless, it’s important to watch closely and make sure your tree isn’t showing signs of under or over-irrigation by inspecting the trunk and the leaves regularly.
Use Fertilizers
Fertilizers are usually great for any type of plant. They ensure the tree has nutrients and help them to grow faster than it otherwise would. The most recommended fertilizer for trees is the high-nitrogen one since it helps them to grow faster and restore the bright green to the foliage.
Fertilizers are almost essential to the trees when they're young and still growing, and during this period it's recommended to fertilize them in the early spring. However, avoid fertilizing your trees if they are stressed by drought during the summer months.
You can find fertilizers of several kinds in landscaping companies or particular providers. They may help you to discover which fertilizer is the best for your soil and tree type, which can change depending on your region.
Don’t Let the Weather Damage The Trees
The weather can greatly influence the growth or decay of your trees and plants. Therefore, make sure your trees suffer the least possible during hot or frozen seasons – the most dangerous times for lawns.
During summer, your main concern is drought caused by excessive sun heat and little rain. In these cases, use the water wisely. It might seem intuitive to simply give your tree tons of water if they show signs of drying up, but that may not be the best solution.
In extreme heat, water may evaporate before your tree can absorb it. In this case, you should find an effective irrigation method to deliver water to the roots, such as the drip irrigation system, which is really effective in drought times. And depending on the case, you might need to water your tree more frequently.
In extreme cold, frozen water can damage the roots and interrupt the pathway for nutrients and water to flow. In order to protect your tree from frost damage, you can use mulch and pruning.
Mulch is able to retain moisture, insulate roots and maintain a warm soil temperature, which is great in frozen times. While pruning is way more effective in winter than in any other season, especially since trees get dormant during winter, pruning wouldn’t stimulate new growth until spring, which is safer for the trees.
Protect The Roots
The roots are probably the most important part of the tree. They are responsible for absorbing all nutrients, oxygen, and minerals. Without a healthy root, your tree isn’t capable of growing and staying healthy.
First of all, know what kind of root your tree has, and then protect its Critical Root Zone (CRZ). The Critical Root Zone is the region where the majority of the tree roots lay, and also the most sensitive to disturbance.
Therefore, avoiding any damage in this area is essential. Using mulch is a great way of protecting your tree roots. Mulch helps to retain moisture, maintain consistent soil temperature and protect the roots in a natural way.
Plus, avoid compacted soil around CRZ. Compacted soil is a big threat to roots since it prevents them from filtering water and oxygen due to its compaction.
Take Care of The Tree Bark
The tree bark is like a living armor and protects the tree from anything which could damage it physically, such as insects, fungi, bacteria, moisture, drought, wind, sun, and several other possible threats. Damaging any layer of the bark can turn the tree to be more fragile and sensitive to threats.
The most effective way of protecting your tree bark is by simply avoiding things that could damage it. Take a look below at some things that can be threats to your tree bark:
- Sprinklers: if you use overhead sprinklers to water your tree and plants, make sure no sprinkler head is hitting the tree by accident.
- Insect infestation: some insects want the same nutrients the trees have for themselves.
- Damage from animals: in some cases, animals can damage the tree in search of food.
- Lawn equipment: although made for lawn and tree care, if not used correctly, some equipment is capable of damaging the tree.
- Vehicles: trees near roads and driveways may be hit by vehicles.
Plus, if your tree is already old and you wonder how to keep old trees healthy, protecting the tree bark is essential to ensuring its survival.
Keep Your Tree Checked Up Annually
An annual check-up made by a professional would allow you to know if your tree is in any danger which homeowners’ eyes usually can’t see. Inspections of this kind are required to be done at least once a year, usually during spring.
On top of caring for the tree yourself, this professional help will ensure your tree is never left wanting for anything. You can find local professionals in landscaping companies and other establishments from this category!
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