Trees benefit any property they sprout from. Not only do trees add beauty and subsequently curb appeal, but they also provide shade and insulation to improve your home’s comfort and efficiency. Trees also absorb carbon and other pollutants while producing oxygen. Here, review several key tree maintenance tips to keep the towering perennials dotting your property beautiful and healthy.

5 Important Tree Maintenance Tips

1. Protect the Bark & Root System With Mulch

Prevent compact soil around your tree that causes the root system to suffocate. Don’t park under trees and place a layer of mulch around each one to prevent foot traffic. Organic mulch such as shredded wood or wood chips spread 3 to 4 inches deep insulates the soil to retain moisture in addition to creating a protective barrier that prevents traffic as well as contact with a lawnmower and other landscaping equipment and tools. Mulch also prevents grass from growing up the tree and stealing nutrients.

2. Don’t Stake the Tree or Hang Anything

Take stakes off young trees as soon as possible--usually after one year--to keep them from growing into the metal, resulting in trunk damage. Avoid hanging anything on your trees as well, such as tire swings, assorted planters, hammocks, or anything else that can cause bark wear or break the branches. 

3. Water According to Age & Weather Conditions

Water young trees every four to five days. Focus on slowly saturating the root ball as well as the surrounding soil. About five weeks after planting, water the trees every 7 to 14 days. Water trees aged two or more years during dry periods of the growing season only since mature trees typically thrive via rainfall. However, they require up to 12 inches of soil saturation about once a month during drought periods.

4. Schedule Tree Trimming

Request trimming from your local tree service depending on what’s best for your specific species. Many trees benefit from winter pruning to encourage springtime growth, while others require trimming in the spring or summer to correct a cosmetic or safety issue such as hanging branches. The only season to avoid tree trimming is fall because more spores are present in the air and can infect pruning wounds.

5. Educate Yourself About Diseases & Pests

Learn about tree diseases and pests that can potentially affect the towering perennials on your property, such as anthracnose diseases on dogwood, maple, and oak trees or scales and borers that attack shade trees. The more you know about disease and pest infestation symptoms, the earlier you can identify issues before they worsen and possibly spread to other trees. 

Combine home with professional tree maintenance to enjoy a beautiful and safe property. Big Beaver Tree Service provides residents and business owners throughout Jessamine County, KY with tree, shrub, and landscaping services, including tree trimming and lot clearing. Call the company with over 30 years of industry experience today at (859) 272-8548 to schedule tree maintenance or learn more online.