Ten Ways to Keep Trees HealthyPlant the Right Tree. This is the first step, and one of the most important, to ensure that you enjoy any tree for years. Prevent power tools, such as lawn mowers and string trimmers, from hitting the tree and damaging its bark. A circle of mulch around the tree is a good way to create a buffer zone.
It is important to avoid damaging vital water vessels and growing vulnerable tissue that is located just below the cortex. A wide, even layer of mulch around the trunk is one of the best things you can do for a tree. It will insulate the soil around the roots of the tree, keep power tools away, discourage foot traffic, and improve the soil as it breaks down. Use mulch made from wood chips or shredded wood.
Spread it three to four inches deep around the tree; the wider the area covered with mulch, the better. Spread the mulch in an even layer without piling it against the bark. That can lead to rot and disease. When soil is piled up around the roots of a tree, the tree cannot absorb the water and air it needs.
To avoid compacting the soil, discourage foot traffic in the area under the branches of a tree. Keep away roads and play equipment. Do not park cars or stack heavy loads on roots. If your area is constantly facing drought, you'll want to consider that trees are classified as drought tolerant.
Once your trees are five years old or older and have established strong root systems, what should be done primarily is routine maintenance. Some trees can stand the test of time, such as Methuselah, the pine that has lived thousands of summers in California. Especially during the first summers of the life of your new trees, you will have a hard time dealing with heat and drought. To direct growth by slowing down the branches you do not want, or to “dwarf the development of a tree or branch”, pruning should be done shortly after the seasonal growth is completed.
Few things on your property will give you as much beauty and pleasure for as little work as its mature trees. These comprehensive tree care tips will guide you through the process of selecting, planting and caring for the right tree for your space. With a mature tree, that means that heavy equipment that works even 60 feet apart can compact the soil and damage the roots, causing the tree to die in a few months or slowly over a period of years. During the first two growing seasons, your newly planted tree spends a lot of energy trying to get its roots established in the ground.
While other steps, such as adding soil improvements or adding fertilizers, can also be part of the tree care discussion, these simple essentials should always come first. Large deciduous trees in the southeast, southwest and west provide refreshing shade in summer, but do not obstruct warm winter sunlight. Young trees often need more frequent train pruning (every 2 to 5 years depending on the species) to improve branch structure by increasing branch spacing, creating a central leader (trunk), keeping temporary branches small, and establishing permanent branches. So whether you're installing a driveway or building a shed, take a moment to discuss tree protection with any contractor and specify where heavy equipment can go and can't go.
Mulch will not only protect your tree from lawn equipment, but will also remove weeds and keep moisture in the soil. .
