Keeping Your Trees In Tip-Top Shape
AMERICAN ARBOR CARE
H
omeowners often ask us
what steps they can take to
keep their trees and shrubs
healthy, particularly if
they’ve already had a bad experience
with a diseased or damaged tree.
We’ve put together this list of simple
maintenance tasks that can help keep
your plants as healthy as possible:
1) WALK YOUR PROPERTY
Get to know what your trees and shrubs
look like and become aware of signs
of distress. Take note if a once healthy
branch is now discolored or has curling
leaves or if you see insects or boring
holes. During the growing season—
April through October—look around
your property every week or so; during
the winter months, inspections every
three to four weeks should suffice.
2) WRAP YOUNG TREES
Using commercial tree wrap,
homeowners can work from the base
of the tree up to the first or second
main branch and tie or tape it down.
There is great information available
on the Colorado State University
Extension website (extension.colostate.
edu) on this and other related topics.
3) KEEP WATERING
Even—or especially—when your
sprinklers are turned off, you still
need to water. We’re in a semi-arid
climate, and warm temperatures
over the winter can dry out tree
and shrub roots, inhibiting nutrient
absorption. We recommend watering
every three to four weeks on days
that reach 60 degrees or higher. Our
watering guideline is five to ten gallons
per diameter inch of the trunk.
4) PRUNE REGULARLY
Pruning will promote growth during
the spring and summer and keep your
overall landscape looking healthy
and tailored. Trimming also acts as a
safety mechanism for keeping branches
8
shorter and
stronger and
better able
to withstand
heavy winter
winds and snowfall. Be sure you
understand the requirements of each
species—some can take a heavy
pruning and still flourish in spring
while others require just a light trim to
keep their blossoms intact. It also helps
to bring an artistic eye to the process
to create shapes that are attractive
and fit in with your landscape.
5) FERTILIZE IN
SPRING AND FALL
In the fall, trees are working on
pulling nutrients together to store for
foliage and flower production for the
following year, so fertilization helps
shore up growth. In the spring, the
trees’ roots take the nutrients from
the soil and apply them to important
health-promoting functions such
as root development and disease
resistance. Use a blend of nitrogen,
potassium, and phosphorus, with
heavy nitrogen in the spring to
promote growth and less in the
fall to slow growth for winter. For
mature trees, a professional arborist
is your best bet to penetrate their
large and complex root system.
We recommend that homeowners
get to know a local arborist who
can inspect their property yearly for
harder-to-identify problems before
they cause damage or spread to other
trees. Be sure to ask about mycorrhizae
fertilizers, which can really extend
and improve plant health, as well as
environmentally friendly treatments
to protect your landscape. Find
more tree care tips and information
at www.americanarborcare.com.
Denver Home Living readers get a
10 percent discount on fall/winter
tree trimming with code DHL10.