Summer is the best time to take care of your trees because it has favorable conditions for the plant to grow, unlike winter. Observing a maintenance routine not only ensures that your trees are healthy, but it also improves the aesthetic appeal of your backyard.
The following are some of the best tree care tips you should implement this coming summer.
Mulching
If you want your young trees to grow fast, you should mulch them. Mulching is an essential tree care practice that quicken plant development by preventing the growth of weeds, optimizing soil temperatures, and improving moisture retention in soil.
You can use a variety of materials for mulching, including dried leaves and grass, wood chips, and sawdust. The recommended method of application is that the mulch surrounds the base of the tree. Placing mulch against the stem of the tree makes it vulnerable to insects and diseases.
To ensure that the mulch remains in position, consider fencing the surrounding of newly planted trees.
Irrigation
The high-temperature levels experienced in summer in the Chicago area makes it mandatory to water your trees, especially if they are still young. On average, newly planted trees require 200mm of water to grow healthily. When irrigating, ensure that the water seeps deep into the surrounding soil. This promotes proper growth of roots, unlike shallow irrigation, which causes poor root development.
More importantly, the irrigation routine should be regular, say mornings and evenings. Irregular watering of plants is also known to disrupt the healthy growth of plants.
Applying Fertilizers
Besides mulching and irrigation, applying fertilizer is another effective way of promoting the rapid growth of newly planted trees. Fertilizers improve trees by facilitating the faster growth of roots and leaves, as well as inhibiting the onset of pests and diseases.
The amount of fertilizer needed for your trees depends on the quality of soil in your area and other factors. If you live in an urban environment, you need more fertilizer because the lands might be more deprived of nutrients than those in underdeveloped locations.
Pruning
Pruning your trees has both aesthetic and scientific benefits. When you shape the branches on your trees, you improve the attractiveness of your backyard. Also, cutting the large branches on your plants makes them healthier and enhances lateral growth. Pruning us useful for removing dried branches, wilted leaves, and diseased parts of the tree.
A lot of the tree species in the Chicago area benefit most from dormant tree pruning. Since it is a complicated process, it is advisable to seek professional assistance before pruning your trees. This ensures that the branches are cut in the right and safe way.
A lesser-known benefit of pruning is that it is cost-effective. It makes spraying pesticides economical since you only apply the chemicals on a few numbers of branches.
Spraying
Summer provides the perfect conditions for pests like spider mites, aphids, beetles, and bagworms. For this reason, it is essential to inspect your trees for pests before the start of summer. Keep in mind that early discovery prevents extensive damage and saves you the money you could have otherwise used to remove the pests. In some cases, it saves the life of the entire tree.
You should consult local tree professionals to help with pest inspection. This particularly applies to people with limited knowledge of pests and diseases that affect plants.
During the spraying session, make sure that you have the right gear to protect yourself from the harmful chemicals. You should ensure that you read instructions carefully to get optimal results. Make a habit of spraying your trees regularly to keep off pests and reduce the risk of contracting a disease.
Storm Damage Prevention
Occasional heavy winds and thunderstorms characterize most summer seasons in Chicago. The consequences of such events include falling off branches, and in extreme cases, uprooting of trees. Such might fall on electricity lines or your roof and cause even further damage.
To protect the damage caused by falling branches, make sure that none are hanging over your roof or over electric lines in the early days of summer. This can be very dangerous work as exposed power lines are not always visible, so consider asking for help from a tree service company.
Alternatively, you can support the limbs using cables and braces.
Conclusion
Taking care of your trees has great benefits. Inspection, maintenance and early prevention are almost always cheaper than more complex tree removal work, especially since trees might add considerable value to your property.
Some of the DIY summer tree care practices include mulching and irrigation. However, it would be best if you hired experts to handle jobs such as pruning, storm prevention management, spraying and pest inspection. This is because if the increased risk of hazards associated with these tasks.
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