Summer is here! The season of soaking up the sun on a warm afternoon, enjoying time with family at cookouts, and, of course, relaxing in the shade of our favorite trees. But with all these beautiful things also come some difficult challenges for your greenery. Including damage from brutal summer storms, infestations of pests, and stress from not being able to retain as much water. We’ve put together this Summer Tree Care Checklist to help you keep your trees happy and healthy during this hot season!
Keep reading to find out our top 5 tips and to get your free Summer Tree Care Checklist!
Find Your Leaf
Check the Health of Your Trees
Summer is one of the best and most important times to check out the overall health of your trees. Especially since it is right out of the prime growing season and their branches are full of leaves now. During an inspection, you should be looking for any signs of unwanted pests and diseases, as well as any damage that may have been sustained during a the Spring season.
Prune Dead & Diseased Branches for Growth
Next up on our Summer Tree Care Checklist is the pruning and clean-up process. Since we spend a lot more time hanging outside during the warmer days, you should also go ahead and look for any branches that may be weak. Having these removed will reduce many safety risks for you and your loved ones. But that’s not all! Removing branches that are no longer growing reduce the amount of stress on a tree and allow its energy to be rerouted to a different area that could use the extra growth.
Pro Tip: If you come across a branch that is too far out of your reach or too dangerous to remove on your own, call your local Tree Specialist. They often have the machinery and experience to remove these branches without the risk of property damage or an unwanted hospital bill.
Give Your Trees a Deep Watering
It’s no secret that trees need water to grow. But it is hard to achieve this during the hotter months because water given to your trees will usually evaporate before it is absorbed by the tree. This leads to dehydration.
In order to avoid this, a method called Deep Watering is used. The roots of most trees are buried about 8-12 inches below the soil and, since the roots are what soak up the water and nutrients needed for trees to survive, it only makes sense to ensure that enough water is reaching them. This method also saves you water and money because you won’t have to water as frequently!
Each plant is different and requires a different amount and frequency of water, so we suggest checking out a watering guide to find out the perfect amount for your tree.
Replenish Mulch and Fertilizer
If you have already put down mulch in the springtime, then now is the time to replenish and fill in any gaps that might have been washed away with the rain. This is an important part of the tree care process because it provides your trees’ roots with a number of benefits it wouldn’t get otherwise:
- Protects from the growth of weeds
- Locks in moisture to keep your trees hydrated
- Protects the roots and trunk during lawn maintenance
The best rule for mulching trees is to create a ring that is 3 inches deep, has a 3 foot radius, and has a 3 inch space around the trunk.
Get Help from Your Local Tree Care Service
Not all projects can be easily completed with your every-day gardening tools. Pruning large, tall trees is just one example. Rather than risking injury by using a ladder and chainsaw yourself, we have equipment such as bucket trucks and professional-grade tools to get the job done right and safe.
Our team of licensed professionals ready to help no matter how big the tree care project. Contact us for a free estimate!
