Caring for your Trees

 

Plant a tree and nature will take care of the rest, right? Not necessarily. The trees in our yards, neighborhoods, and along our streets are a valuable asset, and require our help to keep them healthy. Proper tree care is based on science and research, not wives tales and myths. There is a “right way” and a “wrong way” to care for trees. Here are some tips you need to know to keep your trees healthy and working for you.

• Keeping Your Trees Healthy
• Think Before You Top Your Tree
• Pruning Trees
• Learn How to Prune Properly
• Safety First
• Trees and Utilities: Can they share the same space?
• Fruit Tree Pruning
• Dealing with Drought - Keeping Trees Healthy
• When Does a Tree Become a Risk?
• Frequently Asked Questions about Tree Care from the Tree Care Industry Association

  Mulch - Too Much Can Harm Your Tree

  
  Mulching trees can be one of the most beneficial things a homeowner can do for the health of a tree. Mulch can reduce water loss from the soil, minimize weed competition and compaction, and improve soil structure, fertility and health. If applied properly, mulch can give landscapes a handsome, well-groomed appearance.
  
  Problems occur when mulch is applied too thick and piled high on trunks and stems. Sometimes improper mulching looks like mountainous mulch volcanoes at the base of trees. When this is done, it creates a moist environment in which opportunistic decay fungi attack the trunk and roots, causing root rots, crown dieback, a decline in health, and tree failures. Over-mulching also prevents gas exchange, suffocating roots and stems; can lead to rodent chewing and stem girdling; nutrient deficiencies; and often causes roots to grow up into thick mulch, only to dry out in hot summers, or form girdling roots that encircle and kill trees.
  
  When applying mulch, it is important that we not cover that trunk flare (taper) with soil or mulch. Spread the mulch out in a layer that is no thicker than 2-4 inches, and don’t pile it up on the trunks of trees and stems of shrubs.
  
  

  Improper Mulching	Proper Mulching

  
  Notice that Mulch is not piled up on the trunk and the flare (or taper) is visible