Keeping Your Trees In Tip-Top Shape
AMERICAN ARBOR CARE
Homeowners 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 .