The health of your trees has a huge influence on your health, the value of your property, and the environment. By now, you are probably already aware that trees are key to fighting pollution and that they help to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. They achieve this through photosynthesis, where they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Increased CO2 levels are the primary cause of global climate change.
In this article, we have provided 5 expert tips for tree care and management, including those trees within a tree preservation order.
- Watering when young and in drought
Trees have different watering requirements depending on the age, species, and time of year. But the rule of thumb is that young and newly planted trees need more frequent watering than older well-established trees.
Proper watering in the first two seasons is the most critical aspect of the care of newly planted trees. If your area is experiencing very dry weather, it is recommended that you water the plant 5 times a week to ensure that water reaches the depth of the growing root system.
As noted, well-established trees have low watering requirements. However, if your area has had a long period of drought, your trees might need some watering.
- Mulching
Organic mulch consisting of bark, leaf mould, wood chip, or well-rotted manure offers three key benefits to the health, care, and maintenance of your trees:
- Serves as a slow-release fertilizer
- Helps to retain moisture by reducing the amount of water evaporation from the surface of the soil
- Suppresses weed growth
Ideally, you should place the mulch circularly around the tree and about four inches deep. Ensure to leave some space around the tree trunk (much like a donut). The mulch shouldn’t touch the tree trunk.
- Weeding Young Trees
Weeds, grass, and other nearby plants are always competing for a share of the soil nutrients, soil moisture, and light with your trees. This poses a serious risk to the health and well-being of your trees. With this in mind, ensure to keep at least a 3 ft diameter around the trunk of your trees for other plants.
During spring, when weeds start to sprout, hoeing, hand weeding, or hand pulling are effective in ensuring that your trees stay safe from the effects of these unwanted plants.
- Protecting Your Trees
Once you’ve planted a new tree, you need to start taking steps to protect the tree. Here are some of the things you need to protect your tree from:
Chemical damage: It is important to note that pesticides and herbicides formulated for certain areas of the garden can cause harm to the growing tissue.
Lawn equipment: Lawnmowers and trimmers can end up damaging the layers of the trunk behind the bark and interfere with the uptake of water and give easy access to pests and diseases.
Wind damage: If you are in an area that experiences strong winds, young trees in exposed spaces can be stressed, bent, or killed by strong winds.
- Pruning
This is an aspect of tree health that also involves tree safety. This is why it is best left to a professional.
Tree pruning involves the removal of dead branches. This helps to enhance the quality of your flowers, fruits, and the general health of the wood. Here are the 3 main pruning jobs that need to be done:
Crown thin: This is aimed at letting in more light, reducing the weight of the tree, and reducing dangerous resistance to the wind by thinning the smaller outside branches.
Crown lift or crown raising: This involves the removal of some of the lower branches to allow more light to access the lower parts of the tree.
Crown reduction: This involves the reduction of the height and spread of the top section of the tree to make it fit in better. This allows for more light to pass through and helps to reduce the stress resulting from the weight of so much timber.
With a professional and experienced tree surgeon, you will be able to better understand all of these options.
It is important to note that proper tree care and maintenance benefits you as much as it benefits the trees. Combining your DIY efforts with professional assistance, you will ensure that your grade gets the best care.
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