3 Important Tips For Winterizing Your Trees
Are you a homeowner who is excited that the leaves on your trees are finally starting to turn colors? Are you wanting to make sure that your trees are going to be beautiful and healthy again when spring rolls around? In general, trees don't need much help from humans in order to remain healthy. However, there are still some things that you can and should do to prolong the life and beauty of any trees that are growing on your property. These things include:
Winter mulching: In the fall, before it starts to snow, spread a layer that is several inches thick of compost and mulch around your tree. Not only will this help provide nutrients for the tree, the compost and mulch will help protect your tree's surface roots. Unlike the branches and trunk of your tree, the roots can be much more sensitive to freezing temperatures. Protecting the roots will help keep them from becoming injured or dying off due to repeated freezing and thawing during the winter months. In the spring, you can rake away most of the mulch and compost so that the ground will be ready for another layer of it next autumn.
Pruning: It may seem almost counter-intuitive, but pruning your tree on an annual basis is one of the best ways to ensure healthy growth in the spring. Trimming back your tree eliminates crowding and crossed branches that can cause stunted growth or promote disease. For best results, hire one of your local tree trimming services to do the task for you. The employees of tree trimming services have been trained in how to prune a particular type of tree in order to encourage better and more vigorous growth when the tree starts growing again. They'll also look for signs that insects have taken up a winter residence in your tree and will remove those branches in order to prevent further damage.
Dormant spray: After the tree trimming services get done with your smaller trees, you may want to protect them by applying a commercial dormant spray. Your local nursery or garden center should be able to direct you to the correct formula for your trees. Depending on ingredients, a dormant spray can halt diseases, kill insects, and just generally protect your tree from the harshness of winter. Each spray is somewhat different in its application and reason for use, so it may take some research, in addition to help from the nursery center employees, to decide exactly which product or products are going to be right for you.
Contact a company, like County Tree Service, to get started.