It’s that time of year when our trees go to sleep and take a richly-deserved nap. But in this quiet time, it’s easy to forget that a tree is a form of life that offers many benefits to us and to other aspects of nature. It provides a habitat and nutrients for other animals and cleans the air for us to breathe. It is a vital part of an ecosystem’s health. Although a tree sometimes seems like nature’s superhero, it does need help from time to time.
Trees, much like any living thing, have needs. You don’t need to be a horticulturist or a tree whisperer to understand what they need. Not that education doesn’t help, but at the same time it’s not rocket science. If you are in dire need of tree expertise, you can always contact a tree service professional in your area.
Vicinity Check
Before you plant a tree, find out what is below the ground and look to see what is above. If there is a utility below, you could hit it and cause problems. Even if you miss it, but the utility is near, the tree’s roots could run it down the road. If there is a power line above, the utility company will start to cut on your tree when it gets close to the lines or remove it entirely if the tree wasn’t approved first.
Make sure to check with the utility company and regional/city government before digging. There could be some restrictions about digging too deep or next to certain buildings or structures. Once you get approval, that’s when you can start digging.
Proper Planting
Trees need to be planted correctly. Almost every tree in the urban environment is planted incorrectly. If a tree looks like a telephone pole, it is planted too deep.
* First, plant the tree in early spring or late autumn, so prevent heat stress on the tree.
* Make sure the tree is inherent to its surroundings. Strategically place the tree in a place it normally would grow and ensure the tree is native to your region. Otherwise, it’ll be a worthless endeavour to try and keep it alive.
* Ensure the hole is at least 4 times as wide as the tree’s roots, but make sure the depth is NOT as deep as the top of the bucket the tree temporarily resides in. Some misconceive this process and dig a hole as deep as the bucket. Trees typically are too deep in the soil from the nursery. If you dig the hole as deep as the container in which the tree arrived, it may end up too deep in the soil. A good rule of thumb is to find the naturally occurring root flair and plant that level with the surrounding soil or just a little bit higher.
Water
The most vital necessity that you can provide any tree is to make sure that it receives a proper amount of water. This is the critical nutrient for a tree. Just because a tree is mature, doesn’t mean it doesn’t need water any longer.
When watering your trees in the summer, make sure to water them in the evening time. Otherwise, the sun heats up the water throughout the day and can hurt the tree more than help it.
Mulch
Mulch is a wonderful resource for trees. However, too much mulch can damage it. Mulch should be between 2 and 4 inches deep and SHOULD NOT touch the tree. If the mulch covers the base of the tree, the bark will weaken and start to deteriorate.
If done right, mulch provides many benefits, including locking in moisture to the soil, ventilating the soil to prevent compaction while raining, eliminating weeds from sprouting up around the tree and reducing landscape maintenance for the owner.
Pruning
Another thing that a tree needs is corrective pruning from the time it is small. It is better to frequent small pruning cuts on a tree rather than larger cuts on occasion. Pruning prevents disease by removing insect infestations, animal marks, and dead branches and stems. It can also prevent branches from rubbing together.
A tree that is in an urban environment tends to grow wide and have multiple stems, since there’s less competition for growing space and collecting nutrients. In a natural environment, such as a forest, it would grow tall and slender.
Benefits
If someone were to follow these guidelines and service their trees respectfully, their trees will grow in a proper manner, allowing it to have a long healthy life. It will add beauty and value to the property and provide shade for the surrounding area, amongst other benefits. A healthy, properly planted tree will not have to be removed like a tree that was not maintained and planted incorrectly. If that’s the case, call a tree service and removal expert before further damage can be done.
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