Tree Care 101 – Where to Start and What you can do from Home
If you’re wondering about tree care and the basics, this is the place to start. Trees are living, breathing, dynamic plants. Some can live for several thousand years and the tallest tree ever known is 115.6 meters high. That’s 379 feet. They also give back to the world, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and can store large amounts of carbon. They give us shade and shelter and bear us fruit. And they’re found on our streets and right in our backyards. Being so dynamic, trees have their own science and specializations. Arborists are the folks who take care of them. So where do we start when we aren’t a specialist but we want to be able to take care of our trees?
Primarily, call a professional – such as us folks at Michael Tree Service – and we’ll take care of the big stuff. But there are things that you can do to make sure you’re giving back to the trees in your yard and make sure that they are at their best.
Pruning, mulching and watering are all duties that you can carry out. Pruning is the removal of broken or dead branches, or those that are deformed. This is something to begin regularly two or three years after planting a tree.
Watering is extremely important, not only for the entire existence of any plant, but for the first two years after planting. They are key and it is important to make sure that the soil around the tree is moist. That means it’s wet and will press underneath your finger but it isn’t a soaking wet, deep puddle. That would drown the roots and cause harm. It’s actually possible to over-water a plant and more often than not, that’s the way that many plants perish rather than under-watering.
Mulching is important around a tree and will prevent your lawn mower from damaging the base of the trunk. It will also make sure that you don’t damage the lawn mower at the same time. Mulching helps retain water and protect the soil around the base. You can cover the soil with anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of wood chips and bark. It should be around three feet wide and leave a small moat around the very base of the trunk. As tempting as it is, don’t build up the mulch against the tree. It needs that space. Don’t forget to weed around and in the mulch as those weeds can and will find ways to come up. You can replenish your wood chips and bark as needed.
Keep an eye out for suspicious bug clusters, abnormal patterns, bumps and formations and termite hills near the base of the tree. Being up to date with your local infestations will help you become aware of what to keep an eye out for when it comes to harmful diseases and pests. The sooner you can identify these problems the greater the ability there will be in healing the tree and restoring it to good health.
With proper tending and the use of Arborist services, your trees can prosper and last for years upon years. It can be extremely satisfying rather than laborious to partake in gardening and the proper care of trees. You can take pleasure in watching them grow and be able to enjoy reading a book in the shade of a tree that you helped thrive.
