When it comes to garden care, most homeowners pay little attention to their trees aside from raking up the leaves and twigs that are dropped. That’s quite a shame, as trees play an integral role in the beauty and prosperity of every backyard. They’re also functional, providing shade, and potentially increase the value of your property.
Moreover, you can use these strong, natural structures for construction projects such as bird feeders, swings, shelters and of course, treehouses. But just like any herbs, vegetables, bushes or plants in your garden, trees can benefit from some tender loving care. Here are some tree care tips that you can consider this year.
Table of Contents
Spring Cleaning
A bit of maintenance can go a long way, especially when it comes to improving the visual appeal of your garden. Removing debris isn’t just useful from an aesthetic standpoint. It also helps to eliminate what can otherwise become an ideal environment for fungal growth.
Inspection
By taking a closer look at your trees, you’ll be able to identify certain issues related to the bud. Many dead buds can indicate something related to stress or root problems. The complete lack of buds (outside of the winter season) suggests that there may be a disease lurking about your garden, which is typically characterised by the prevalence of fungus.
Pruning and Mulching
Winter is the best time to prune your trees, as it’s easier to remove dead foliage and promote new growth. Proper pruning is best done by a professional. Consider hiring a tree surgeon such as JC Arborists for this purpose. As for mulching, you’ll want to do it on a regular basis to retain moisture and prevent the spread of weeds.
An important point to note here is that you should avoid laying mulch against the trunk of the tree. Sticking to the area around the bottom will prevent the buildup of fungus-attracting moisture and heat.
Pests and Diseases
It’s worth taking some time to familiarise yourself with the pests and diseases that are known to cause problems with trees, especially if you’ve noticed that something is amiss. Leaves that are browning at the veins, for instance, are a sign of anthracnose, which is a fungal disease that is most commonly seen during wet spring weather.
Hungry aphids are another potential problem to watch out for, as they often leave a sticky syrup on your trees that attract black mold fungi. The presence of colorful spots on bark, leaves or branches towards the end of winter point to scale insects. Too many of those is no good either.
Caterpillars and the like can be removed by hand. Just be sure to watch out for toxic Oak Processionary moths. If aphids are the problem, a blast of the garden hose should ward them off.
Finally, don’t forget about fertiliser and watering. The former is key to providing your trees with the nutrients they need while watering during warmer months will encourage development. Combined with the above tips, it will go a long way in helping you maintain a happy and healthy garden.
