How to Care for Trees in Your Yard
Even if you put in a decent amount of time, money, and effort to keep your garden, lawn, and / or other parts of your landscape looking good, you might be missing out on some of the biggest inhabitants of your yard: trees. Trees are easy to forget about, especially if they were already on your property when you moved.
We are not saying that trees need careful maintenance – in fact, they are quite self-sufficient – but if they are near your home, there are a few things you can do to keep them healthy and looking. well. Here’s what you need to know.
How to care for newly planted trees
Let’s start with the trees that you have planted. As you’ve probably learned, buying young trees can be expensive, so not only do you want your kids to grow and prosper, but you also want to protect your investment.
This starts when you plant the tree for the first time. To 23ABC News, Katy Robinson of Robbie’s Nursery in Bakersfield, California, told 23ABC News that a large hole needs to be dug and filled with a mixture of local soil and mulch to help the roots take root and take hold.
Then, draw a small circle of earth around the root ball – known as a well – and fill it with water. “I love to fill them every morning with three to four inches of standing water right above the root ball,” explains Robinson. It takes about a month for a new tree to take root. After that, the well can go, and you can start fertilizing the tree.
How to care for grown trees
Balance is essential when it comes to watering rooted mature trees. Too much or too little water can damage trees. So, according to the Tree Planting Day Foundation , the soil around the tree should be moist, but not soggy. Here’s how they suggest testing soil on a tree :
You can check soil moisture by using a garden trowel and pushing it into the ground 2 inches deep, then moving the trowel blade back and forth to create a small, narrow trench. Then touch the soil with your finger. If it’s damp to the touch, then they don’t need water.
Pruning trees is another way to keep them healthy. But that means more than just pruning branches that appear dead: when, how and what to prune depends on the season and the specific needs of the tree. The Arbor Day Foundation has several written and video tutorials on pruning, including this one:
In most cases, minimal maintenance can keep your trees healthy for years to come.