Tree Care Tips from Bemus

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Caring for Our Trees

 

By Lauren Howell, Director of Employee Development

In Southern California, the first thing we often think about in regard to trees is pruning. While proper pruning is critical to maintaining our trees and helping avoid tree failure, there is more to tree care! Here are some tree care tips that are beneficial for ensuring any tree’s health:

Mulching

A nice 2-4” layer of shredded mulch around the tree all the way out to the drip line is ideal. Often the design of the landscape doesn’t allow us to have that large of a mulch detail, but even a smaller, three to four-foot ring will be very beneficial in providing shade for the roots and conserving water in the soil.

Spacing

Trees do best when their roots aren’t competing with other plants for water and nutrients, so avoid planting directly under trees with other plants and groundcovers. When the landscape design includes mixed plantings, it’s a good practice to provide as much space for the tree roots as possible.

Proper Watering

Over watering is a problem for trees more often than under watering. Ensuring your trees aren’t standing in water is critical. When planting trees in turf areas, be sure to select trees that can tolerate regular watering.

When trees do become stressed through drought, disease or other environmental situations there are things you can do to help encourage their future health.

Vertical Mulching

An incredibly beneficial process that opens up gaps in the soil around the tree roots. This helps with oxygen exchange and improves the soil structure. It allows the roots to be healthier and avoids issues with fungal pathogens. Improved growth is nearly always achieved after implementing this process.

Fertilization

Healthy trees don’t require fertilizers, but when a tree is showing deficiencies the proper fertilization can be critical. Deep root feeding is an effective way to provide the nutrients right where they are needed. There are some very beneficial fertilizers that include mycorrhizae, sea kelp and microbes and are very effective in reviving stressed trees.

When you have questions about your trees and their health, it is important to consult an expert that can properly diagnosis the issues that may be affecting your particular trees. The right treatments can make all the difference in the health and longevity of your trees!

For more information about Bemus Tree Care, click here.