How To Care For Young Trees

Proper Care For Young Trees

While summer is all about getting outside, enjoying time with the family around the pool or at the beach make sure you a properly cultivating the trees displayed in your yard. Proper care of your outdoor space is necessary if you hope to have a beautiful landscape for many years to come. While it's all fun and games in the summer for us, your trees and plants can experience droughts, storms, and more. Make sure you are taking all the necessary steps to avoid any potential pitfalls that will damage your trees.
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The first five years of a young saplings life is critical in ensuring it will live a long healthy life. Proper tree care including water and pruning are just a few noteworthy points to pay attention to when caring for your newly planted trees.

Tips To Avoid This Summer

Overwatering- There will be days, depending on where you are geographically located in the United States, where you experience dips in moisture levels. We recommend watering your trees at these times but do not go overboard and turn the area around the tree into a moat. If you're unsure whether the trees and plants need water or not here are a couple of methods to properly check the moisture. ​

• First, check the condition of the soil around the tree, if it is already damp and soggy you have nothing to worry about and shouldn't water your tree at all.
• If possible try to check the soil about 4-6 inches below the surface. If it is moist and wet you know your soil is good to go!
• A quick tip when going to water your trees. Try to water the roots instead of the soil around the tree since the roots are the actual mechanisms of the tree that draws water and nutrients into the tree. This allows for optimal absorption and plant health.

Over-pruning & Trimming- Proper pruning and trimming are important in supporting the healthy growth of a tree. Never forget however, that you can overdo it and start harming the canopy of the tree if you decide to remove more than necessary. Remember that the summer months are when your tree is supposed to have a full, healthy, thriving canopy. The best times to prune and trim your trees are during dormant periods when there is less growth taking place i.e at the beginning of spring or fall when growth tends to fall off. If summer is already in full-swing it is best to plan for the future and put trimming on the back burner. 

Forgetting Mulch- Typically mulching is done during the spring but there may be certain cases where you need to add a bit during the summer months. This can greatly benefit the tree as well as add to the overall aesthetics of your landscaping. The purpose of mulch is to act as an insulator preserving moisture around the base of your tree. If mulched properly your watering will be much more effective.

Weed Maintenance- Don't forget that while weeds are present around trees or plants you are caring for they are competing for the same nutrients and water that your trees are hoping to absorb. Make sure your gardens and yards are properly taken care of by doing routine weeding at the minimum of once a month. Not only will this benefit the health of your plants but nobody likes the look of overgrown gardens that look like weed armageddon is takin place.

To recap things to watch out for in the article, make sure you aren't overwatering your plants and trees. I know it can be hard sometimes but make sure you check the moisture of the soil before you go crazy watering everything. Make sure you are choosing the proper time of year to prune and trim your trees ensuring healthy growth of your tree's canopy not harming it. Mulching isn't necessary per-say but it will definitely help your tree retain moisture so you don't have to water it as much, therefore we recommend it. Last but not least, make sure you are taking care of the weeds in your yard and garden so they aren't sucking nutrition and water from your trees and plants.