Trees add beauty and value to a property, but they require regular Phoenix Tree Care to thrive. Here are some seasonal tips to help keep trees healthy throughout the year.
Inspect trees in Spring for any damage and address health issues like disease or pest infestations. Stimulate growth through strategic pruning that improves structure and promotes air circulation.
Spring
Trees experience different challenges throughout the year. Seasonal tree care is important for their health and longevity, ensuring that each season is optimized for growth and survival. By tailoring their care to specific seasons, trees flourish and contribute to a vibrant ecosystem.
Spring is the first opportunity for property owners to begin prepping their landscapes and getting ready for the warmer weather. The ground thaws, gardens bloom and lawns begin to grow – it’s an exciting time for homeowners, but for trees, it can be a crucial season of vulnerability.
As they emerge from winter dormancy, trees are susceptible to damage from wind and cold, and pests can begin emerging. During this time, a fully-trained arborist can assess for signs of damage and identify any potential problems that may arise, such as limbs that are dead or dying.
This is also a great time to prune your trees. Pruned trees have the best chance of surviving and growing well. During the spring, we recommend pruning only dead or damaged branches and no more than 10% of your total canopy area.
Mulching and weed control are also important activities to perform this season. Mulching helps to improve soil quality, promoting healthy root systems. It also promotes water retention, ensuring your trees have the hydration they need to thrive.
Summer brings warmer temperatures, and with it, trees can quickly become stressed. During this time, it’s important to have RTEC out regularly to inspect and treat insect pests. Additionally, it’s essential to have hazardous limbs removed before they can fall during a storm, causing damage to your home and other structures on your property.
Fertilization is another crucial task for trees during the summer. Using a slow-release fertilizer helps promote the health of your trees by allowing them to absorb the nutrients as they grow, rather than being flushed away. It’s also important to regularly test the soil for nutrient levels and adjust your schedule accordingly. Lastly, it’s important to monitor the environment for drought conditions and have RTEC out for timely irrigation services.
Summer
Trees are a critical part of your landscape, providing shade and beauty. However, they require regular maintenance to thrive. The needs of trees ebb and flow with the seasons, with spring a time for pruning, summer a season for hydration and pest detection, and fall a time for mulching, pruning, and fortifying against winter damage. Careful attention to the changing needs of your trees can help them last a lifetime.
Spring is the ideal time to prune most types of trees, as they are reviving from their dormant state and preparing for new growth. Pruning will shape and maintain the health of your trees while removing dead or damaged limbs that pose a safety risk or attract pests. Pruning can also encourage new root growth and allow for more light to reach the ground.
During summer, hydration is a major concern for most types of trees as they battle high temperatures and drought conditions. Deep, infrequent watering helps roots grow deeply and hydrate more easily than shallow surface watering. A layer of mulch around the base of your trees can help to retain moisture, as well. Avoid placing mulch too close to a tree’s trunk, as this can cause rot. Watering in the early morning or late evening helps to reduce evaporation.
In addition to preventing water loss, regular inspections of your trees will help to prevent pests and diseases from gaining a foothold. Watch out for unusual fungi or spots on leaves, as these may indicate an infestation. Inspecting regularly will also help you catch problems like broken branches or abrasions on the bark before they get worse.
In the fall, mulching will prepare your yard for winter and reduce soil compression which can limit oxygen to roots. Pruning is another key activity in the fall, as it can help to minimize disease transmission and encourage a robust burst of new growth come spring. While 770-Tree-Guy typically prefers to prune during the winter when most species of trees are dormant, this is sometimes not possible. When a pruning event is necessary, it should only be performed by a trained professional to minimize the risk of injury to your valuable plants and trees.
Fall
Trees are one of the most beautiful and beneficial parts of any landscape. They increase curb appeal, add privacy, and reduce noise pollution. However, it is important to remember that they also need proper care throughout the year to ensure their long-term health and continued contribution to your property’s appearance and value.
Fall is an important time for a variety of different tree and shrub care tasks. It is the best time of year to plant new trees, as the weather is cooler and the soil is still wet, allowing for a strong root foundation. It is also the ideal season to prune dead branches and remove any limbs that could fall during a storm, as well as to cover the ground with a layer of mulch.
This allows the soil to retain moisture and reduce weed growth around the base of the tree, and it will also prevent the sunscald that occurs when evergreens are exposed to hot morning sunlight after a chilly night. This type of damage can dehydrate the needles and cause them to become brittle, which leads to branch breakage.
The fall is also the best time to fertilize trees and shrubs, which will help strengthen roots over winter. It is important to maintain a regular watering schedule, although it may be less frequent than during summer, as the soil does not need to be as wet. Watering should occur in the early morning so the tree is not irrigated during the hottest part of the day, and so it has time to soak in before nightfall.
It is also the best time of year to do a complete walk-through and inspect your property, looking for signs of pest infestation, diseases, or general deterioration. It is important to address any issues before they snowball into major problems later on. Lastly, it is important to wrap any vulnerable trees or shrubs to protect them from frost and snow buildup or to brace them for severe winds. The proper preparations in the fall can greatly reduce the need for costly repairs and removals come spring.
Winter
Trees provide so much beauty to our landscapes. Whether it’s a majestic oak, a colorful maple, or a stunning evergreen, there is something magical about the way light dances through their branches. However, not every homeowner knows what to do when it comes to ensuring their trees’ health and vigor. Questions about pruning, planting, and pest control swirl around the minds of many homeowners. Fortunately, we’re here to demystify year-round tree care and help you support healthy trees.
Year-round care starts with consistent inspections and proactive pruning. Pruning removes dead, damaged, or crossing branches to improve air circulation and sunlight penetration. It also helps reduce the risk of fungal disease and promotes a stronger, healthier plant.
Regular watering is a vital part of tree care, especially during the summer. It is important to water trees deeply and regularly so that the soil is hydrated. This helps minimize stress and prevents water runoff, which can negatively impact soil health and tree roots.
While it may not be as crucial as watering in the summer, winter tree care is still an essential component of year-round care. It is important to hydrate the soil around the base of your tree, even though this is difficult when the weather turns cold. This ensures that the roots can absorb nutrients and moisture throughout the winter.
In addition to hydrating the soil, it is also important to mulch your trees during the winter. This not only provides insulation for the roots but also helps with weed control and can help keep the soil moist.
Lastly, winter is a good time to remove invasive plants such as English ivy, wisteria, porcelain berries, or any other vines that are climbing on or surrounding your trees. These plants steal the nutrients and water that your trees need and can cause them to weaken, which makes them more vulnerable to opportunistic pests.
With these tips in mind, you can be confident that your trees will be thriving all year round. Year-round care can make all the difference when it comes to sustaining the beauty and value of your property.