Spring is almost here and we have produced our Jones Road Tree Service spring checklist for services and tasks to help you prepare. Remember, trees are living things too and need proper care. Just as you go-to the doctor, a tree should receive care from an ISA certified arborist.
Request a Tree Risk Assessment:
- Dead Wood: Dead wood is dangerous, and it’s often caused by the winter weather. Clean up all dead branches to avoid the possibility of property damage. If you have any concerns about dead wood on your tree be sure to contact our ISA certified Arborist to look at your tree.
- Branches: Look for consistent leafing and flowering activity on the branches of your trees during spring. Does one area look too inconsistent?
- Leaves: Look for the yellowing of leaves – winter storms can cause an excess of water for some trees and this yellow coloring can indicate poor soil drainage and too much moisture.
- Tree Fungi: The presence of tree fungi is often a sign that a tree is unhealthy. Fungi can weaken wood tissue, resulting in cracks, seams, and decay. Look out for any signs of tree decay caused by fungi.
- Roots: Roots are the key indicator of a tree’s health. Look out for thin crowns, off color leaves, dwarfed leaves, resin-soaked wood at the root, and fungi growing at the base of the tree.
Why you should prune your trees:
- Safety: Removing weak or dead branches that could pose a risk to people or structures.
- Aesthetics: Pruning for aesthetics involves enhancing a tree’s appearance or character and even stimulating flower / leaf production.
- Tree Health: The most important reason to prune your trees. Involves removing weak, dead, or diseased branches. For more information on how to properly prune your tree contact our ISA certified arborist today.
Tree Pruning Tips:
It is important to prune your trees, but it is just as important to properly prune your trees. Follow these general tips:
- Never prune more than 25 percent of your tree’s foliage at a time. An ISA certified arborist will know exactly how much needs to be pruned.
- Prune with sharp and clean tools. You want to have small, clean cuts.
- Prune during your trees active growing period to allow the trees to properly heal themselves.
- Not all trees should be pruned during springtime. If you are unsure whether you should prune your tree contact our ISA certified arborist to learn more.
Fertilize your trees:
- Before growing season be sure to properly apply fertilizer to your trees to improve your trees resistance to diseases, insects, and stressful weather.
Plant new trees:
Planting the right tree can add value and aesthetics to your property. Follow some of these tree planting tips to properly add to your property:
- Do not bury your tree too deep: When buried too deep, tree roots decline in health and condition. This in turn means reduced tree growth and susceptibility to disease and insects.
- It’s ideal to plant trees so their root flare – where the trunk starts to bulge out at the bottom is level with or slightly above the soil surface.
- A common tree planting mistake is volcano mulching. This is when too much mulch is packed around the tree root and up the trunk – resembling a volcano. This is just further burying the tree.
Mulch your trees:
- Mulch is great for your trees when applied correctly. Mulching will secure the organic matter your trees need beneath the soil surface. Mulch conserves soil moisture and controls weeds.
- Mulch prevents many weed seeds from germinating by lessening the amount of light they get.
- Adding mulch can nearly double the tree growth rate – compared to when trees grow in grass.
