With spring setting in, it’s time to start working outside, AKA: mowing the lawn, watering plants, and lots of weeding. But there may be something that gets over looked and that is the trees!
Last year I was staring to feel that our two maple trees on the side of our house were not looking as good as they should. We decided to call a pro (because we had no clue about trees) and have them come assess the trees, really tell us what we could do to help them.
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And here are 3 things we learned to do to have healthier trees.
SIDE NOTE before I begin: You may think your trees are fine but it could take years before you would notice that your trees are in need of help!
ADD MULCH:
There are many benefits to mulching around trees:
- it insulates the soil to provide a buffer from heat and cold
- retains water to help keep the roots moist
- keeps weeds out
- reduces lawn mover damage
Here are the steps to add mulch around your own tree or you can see how we did it last year, here.
- Remove grass within 3-10 ft around tree, area depends on the size of your tree. Be careful when removing grass to NOT damage the roots of the tree.
- Add natural mulch about 2-4 inches deep and keep mulch from touching trunk of the tree.
Another thing that mulch does is that it improves curb appeal. Here is a side-by-side comparison of our trees, one with mulch and one without (this was from last year!).
WATERING:
Trees normally do not need extra watering during winter, fall, and spring seasons. It’s in the heat of the summer or during a drought that a tree needs extra watering. Infrequent (at least 3 times a month) deep watering is the preferred schedule, the water needs to get to the roots.
- deep watering is about a depth of 12″ below soil surface
- saturate the soil around the tree within the “dripline” (outer edges of the trees’ branches).
- water slowly, dispersing the flow of water to get the water deep down to the tree’s roots
So how much water?
How much water your tree should receive depends on the tree’s size. A general rule of thumb is to use approximately 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter for each watering (measure trunk at knee height).
- Example: When you hand water using a hose at medium pressure, it will take approximately 5 minutes to produce 10 gallons. Formula: Tree Diameter x 5 minutes = Total Watering Time
FERTILIZER:
It is beneficial to apply fertilizer when the ground is workable in the spring, now! There are different kinds of fertilizers and some trees need a certain kind. But normally there are two ways to apply the fertilizer: spikes or mixing with water. We have only used the mixing with water and we used this one.
Please remember that we are not pros and that every tree is different but these 3 things (mulch, water, and fertilizer) will help you care for your trees. That way they can be healthier for years to come.
Here is our tree currently plus our new fence (tutorial coming soon!).
Anyone one else need to help their trees??
