Preventative Care for Trees
December 17, 2019 | By webadmin
Beautiful trees in our landscapes envelop our spaces, providing us a sense of serenity and privacy. Neighborhoods with big established trees are instantly welcoming and improve our property values. But it’s been a rough year for trees all around Dallas and North Texas – to say the least. Intense storms and even tornadoes have robbed many homeowners and neighborhoods of their large established trees.
While it’s difficult for any trees to stand up to a tornado, you can take preventive measures to help your trees better withstand the general stresses of urban life and storm pressure.
How to Keep Your Trees Healthy
A plan for preventative and ongoing care is important to strengthen your trees. Here is an easy checklist you can use to do a health check up on your tree care regimen:
Fertilize: Our urban soils are compacted from construction and heavy rain, and often devoid of proper nutrition for trees. We haul off leaves instead of letting them decay & add nutrients back into the soil. Therefore, it’s important to establish a seasonal fertilizer regimen to create strong trees that are better able to ward off pests and diseases – and bounce back from storms.
Mulch: Help keep consistent moisture in the soil by mulching at the base of trees. Of course, it is important to mulch correctly – do NOT pile up mulch at the base of the tree, or it can cause disease and decay.
Preventative Pruning: Any large pruning projects should be left to professionals. But, if you have young trees, removing criss-crossing branches or small storm damage is fine. If trees are properly pruned by experts before the next big storm, there will be less instances of breakage due to high winds or ice.
Watering: Staying on top of water needs is crucial, even with established trees. Drought can occur any time of year, and lawn irrigation is not enough to keep trees healthy. Make sure you are watering deeply with a bubbler, drip nozzle, or soaker hoses set specifically to run for your trees.
Mulching correctly helps to conserve moisture.
Why tree health matters
Trees are so important to urban areas. A healthy urban tree canopy equals healthier residents. In fact, studies show that there are less instances of asthma and heart disease, and lower levels of stress in areas where tree canopy is prevalent.
In addition to producing happier and healthier people, trees also:
- clean the air and remove toxins from water
- produce oxygen
- cool urban temperatures
- lower utility costs
- increase property values
Good tree care now will benefit your trees for many years to come. If you have specific concerns about the trees on your property, be sure to discuss them with your landscape account manager. We can develop a plan with you to care for your trees in a more proactive manner, and work with our highly skilled network of certified tree professionals to take care of pruning and bracing needs.
