With fall around the corner, the time has come to start preparing your landscaping for any unpredictable chilly storms to come. Trees often take the brunt of fall storm damage because the cold makes them brittle, and the unhealthy and unprepared ones getting hit the hardest. If you don’t have a professional landscaper helping to maintain the trees on your property, now is the time to change that. They can expertly perform the essential preparations below.

3 Autumn Tree Care Tips

1. Inspection

Have your trees inspected by an arborist annually. A professional will perform a thorough inspection to find any spots of weakness, signs of damage, or disease. During an inspection, an arborist looks for dark decay, weakened branches, pests, soil saturation, and structural problems that make trees more susceptible to damage in high winds. Trees should also be professionally inspected after major storms, as high winds can weaken branches and strain root structures. 

2. Pruning

Having a professional prune your trees twice a year makes them stronger and healthier, reducing the chances of damage when storms come along. They can thin out the canopy on top of the tree, eliminating thin branches, which increases wind resistance. Pruning also removes dead branches or ones that have grown too close to your house to prevent property damage. 

3. Mulching

Maintaining a layer of mulch around your tree helps to protect the root structure. It allows water and nutrients to get through the soil, and it facilitates drainage around the roots. This also reduces the need to use lawn-mowing equipment near the base of the tree, which could damage the roots.

A landscaper should apply mulch around trees in the middle of spring, once the weather has warmed and the roots begin growing. The layer should be 2 to 4 inches thick in a circle that’s 3 to 5 inches from the trunk of young trees; for mature trees, they will apply it 8 to 10 inches away. The mulch layer should be checked annually. As long as there are 1 to 2 inches of mulch in place, there’s no need to reapply.

Making sure your trees are prepared for fall storms is a year-round endeavor. Glynn Young’s Landscaping & Nursery Center in Nicholasville, KY, can help. This family-owned and operated landscaping business have tools and experience to ensure your trees are ready for whatever the fall season brings. In addition to their lawn design and maintenance services, they also operate a 6.5-acre garden center that includes a nursery and tree farm. Visit their website to see their full list of services, or call them today at (859) 881-8111 for more information.