The trees in your yard are a valuable asset and vital part of the community planning so that their beauty will set the desired atmosphere for years to come. With proper care these trees will grow and thrive providing shade, cooling and year-round beauty.
For these trees to remain healthy and vigorous, there are maintenance items that need to be observed:
· Keep your tree’s root flare free of soil cover. The trees in front of your home between the street and sidewalk should not have stone edging installed with soil added on top of the root ball. This practice is very detrimental to tree health and in many cases, causes the tree to lose vigor. It can also cause death due to bark deterioration. Edging around trees can contribute to water holding around the tree preventing needed root/air exchange that is essential for healthy root growth. It also makes it more difficult to provide needed nutrients to roots. Just remember, tree feeder roots are shallow and they do not like to be covered.
· The mulch rings around trees can also be eliminated after the first 2 years. The rings are there for establishment but once trees are established, rake the mulch rings level and let the grass grow up to the trunk. If you want to maintain mulch, keep it pulled back from the root flare and do not have more than 2 inches of mulch at anytime.
· Fertilize your trees now by applying 1/2 pound fertilizer per inch trunk diameter spread evenly from outside root ball to 2 feet past canopy drip line. Most of your trees are 3 to 4 inch in diameter.
· Trees can grow quickly in the spring so check the staking materials on your trees monthly. Do not let the materials cut into the bark, damaging trees. If your tree has been in for one year, shake the trunk and if the root ball does not move, it is time to remove all staking materials. If the root ball is still moving, leave on staking materials but make sure to loosen all ties as needed to prevent damage to branches and tree trunk.
Do not allow ties to grow into trees!!!