Trees - How to Care for Your Trees
10 Tips on How to Care for Your Trees
Overwhelmed by all the options at the garden center? Find the right tree for your landscape with these simple tips.
One of the joys of living in the country is being surrounded by big, magnificent trees. Not only do they add shade and beauty, but they also greatly add value to your property. Replacing even a small tree can cost hundreds of dollars. If so, it only makes sense to protect your investment and grow trees so they can be appreciated for generations to come. Here are 10 tips to keep your trees healthy.
1. Back off
The good news is that, for the most part, trees can fend for themselves. After all, the centuries-old beauties you see in the countryside didn't get there with a lot of fuss and primping.
2. Be careful where you dig
Construction can be the biggest killer of mature trees, especially when heavy equipment is involved. Consider the case of a Missouri couple who designed their new home's driveway around a famous 200-year-old tree. They built the road and the tree died immediately. Although construction may appear to occur relatively far from a tree, remember that the root system can extend two to three times as far as the branches. Heavy equipment running even 60 feet away from a mature tree can compact the soil and damage the roots, causing the tree to die slowly over months or years.
So, whether you're putting in a driveway or building a shed, talk to any contractor about tree protection and where heavy equipment can and can't go. It is a good idea to mark the area around the trees during construction. Areas that are at least 10 feet away from the tree's drip line, i.e., should be extended to tree branches.
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3. No parking.
Avoid parking under trees. Over the years, the soil can compact and slowly kill the tree.
4. Whack carefully.
Mowers and weed hunters (power string trimmers) can be enemies of the tree, crushing the bark, weakening the tree, and being an excellent entry point for disease.
5. Mulch regularly.
It's important to mulch around the base of your trees (except trees in the woods). Apply a 1- to 4-inch layer of wood chips or shredded bark, pine needles, shredded fall leaves, cocoa hulls, straw, or other biodegradable mulch. Mulch should start an inch or two from the trunk of the tree and extend up to the drip line or at least 3 feet from the base of the trunk. Mulch not only protects your tree from lawn equipment, but it suppresses weeds and holds moisture in the soil.
6. Don't overwater or overfertilize.
Often, a mature tree needs little help in terms of food and water. While trees planted in the last three or four years benefit from extra fertilizing and watering, larger trees can actually be damaged by fertilizer and excess water. They can also be damaged by lawn and garden herbicide applications—another good reason to put down that big layer of mulch so you're not pouring chemicals on at least part of the tree's roots.
In the arid West, new homeowners install sprinkler systems that unknowingly start watering trees that are used to dry conditions, soaking the soil and depriving them of the oxygen they're used to. This can lead to diseased or dead trees.
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7. Prune and re-trim.
Benign neglect is also useful when it comes to alignment. Mature trees rarely need much, other than removing dead or damaged branches and cutting suckers growing at the base. Thin, crowded branches, rubbing or problem branches on mature branches (especially fruit trees) called water sprouts should be regularly trimmed.
8. Know your trees and your diseases.
Although your trees don't need much from you, it's a good idea to keep an eye on them. Many diseases are specific to certain species, so you need to know the tree first to diagnose the problem. A good reference book can come to the rescue.
9. Walk your property.
Walk your property regularly and keep a close eye on your trees. Check the leaves and branches for any insects or signs of insect activity, dead branches, fungi growing on or around the base of the tree, and odd spots on the leaves.
10. Sit back and enjoy.
Few things on your property, like your mature trees, can bring beauty and joy with very little effort.
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5 Tips for Choosing the Best Trees for Your Garden
The right tree in the right place can create an inviting outdoor living space, frame a view, or add valuable shade or structure to your yard. But choosing a tree or two to buy for your yard usually requires more thought than deciding on a few flowering plants to fill your patio containers. With thousands of varieties to choose from, finding the right tree can feel like a tall order. Additionally, adding a tree to your landscape is a significant investment of both money and time. Focus your search and find the best tree for your yard with these simple tips.
1. Increase the size of the growing space
The size of the planting area is important when choosing a tree. To begin with, what is the width of the space where you want to plant your tree? Is the planting site near a building, fence, or other large plants? If so, measure how much room a tree has to fill without restriction.
Next, look at the height potential for the location. If power lines are overhead, you'll want to make sure your fully grown tree doesn't touch them. And does a mature tree send legs over your house? A tree growing over a house rarely causes problems, but choosing a tree with a short growth habit instead of a spreading crown can avoid potential problems. Finally, consider where the tree will cast shade. Shade is generally welcome except in planting areas such as a vegetable garden where you prefer full sun.
Trees are divided into two general categories based on size. Ornamental trees are generally small trees, less than 30 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide at maturity. Shade trees are considered large trees and typically grow 30 to 60 feet or more in height and width. Thanks to plant breeding, there are many exceptions to the above groups.
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2. Create a job description
Reading through tree descriptions is like reading through resumes. The first task in finding the best candidate is to determine what you want them to do. The same goes for a tree in your yard. How would you like a new tree to contribute to your landscape?
Looking for shade for a patio or outdoor play space? Want to screen the view or create a wind barrier? Does your landscape need more color in spring or fall? Want to plant a tree that supports pollinators and wildlife like birds? Make a list of what you want your new tree to do in your landscape.
3. Match the growing conditions to your tree
First, consider your hardiness zone, which will help you narrow down your options to trees that can survive the winter in your area. Then, calculate the growing conditions of your planting site, especially how much light, soil type, and natural humidity. For example, some trees thrive in loose, sandy soils, while others tolerate heavy clay soils. Many trees require full sun for the best growth, and some trees thrive in dappled shade.
You should carefully select a tree suitable for existing conditions or do your best to make your site more suitable for the tree you want to grow. For example, you can amend the soil with compost to improve drainage, and plan to set up a drip irrigation system if your tree needs more water than it receives from rainfall.
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4. Think about outdoor life
Highly prized trees are often integral components of outdoor living spaces. An oak on a patio encloses the space with a leaf roof. A trio of arborvitae creates a privacy screen across the property line. Remember that trees can be messy in and around your alfresco rooms, so you should avoid any species that are known to drop lots of branches, leaves, fruit, or seeds. Keep walkways and paths in mind and make sure you don't create a situation where you're always having to cut back stray branches. Choose trees that will get along well with you.
5. Keep winter in mind
Deciduous trees, trees that shed their leaves in the fall, take on a completely new look in the winter. How will your tree contribute to the winter landscape? If you want year-round privacy, an evergreen tree is a better choice than a deciduous tree. If cooling summer shade is more important, choose a deciduous tree.
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