When most people think about a good landscape, they forget the trees. This shouldn’t be the case. This is because trees play a very vital role. They add to the aesthetics. They also contribute to the overall long-term health and sustainability of the space. In short, they are a true representation of how well you take care of your landscape.
Therefore, when creating your landscaping plan, you need to incorporate tree management. As you do this, be sure to have a year-round perspective in mind. Depending on the season, your trees will act differently. Therefore, they will have distinct care needs throughout the year.
This article looks at how to integrate tree management into landscape design. This is all while paying a lot of attention to the different seasons of the year.
Spring Tree Care Needs
Tree Management and Landscape Design
Spring is a great time to take care of your trees. This is because the previous season of winter can wreak a lot of havoc. This can be seen in the form of broken branches and frost damage. It can also cause stress on the root system. This is quite true for those young and vulnerable trees.
One important thing to do during summer is to assess the damage. Look for broken branches and signs of disease. In case you notice anything, consider pruning. This will entail removing damaged or dead limbs. It’s important to do this to help make way for new growth.
Summer Maintenance Strategies
Summer presents a lot of challenges to trees. This can be in the form of heat and drought. During such a season, all you need to do is make sure that your trees have enough water. As you do this, it’s important to trigger strong root growth. You can achieve this using the deep and infrequent watering technique.
You might also contemplate mulching around the base of trees. Doing this is important because it helps retain moisture in the soil. It also regulates temperatures and prevents weed competition.
The warm temperatures of summer also make your trees prone to pests and diseases. Therefore, do a quick inspection to ensure your trees are healthy.
Preparing for Fall
Fall means the temperatures will go lower. You need to make your trees ready for this. You can do this by promoting aeration around the root zone. This goes a long way in relieving soil compression. The result is easier flow of water and nutrients.
In addition to these actions, consider doing root care treatments and structural pruning. You can do them as DIY. However, you might want to leave these tasks to professionals. This is because they will help ensure everything is done safely and effectively.
You should also do leaf cleanup. It’s very important to help prevent fungal diseases. Such diseases thrive in damp conditions. Therefore, ensure that you prevent this by cleaning up.
Winterizing Your Trees
Winter is a tough time for trees. A lot of care is hence required to ensure they survive. This is especially true for the young and vulnerable ones. Start by ensuring maximum protection against frost cracks and animal damage. You can achieve this by wrapping the tree trunks of young trees with guards. In late winter, consider doing some slight pruning. This is important to help minimize chances of disease spread. It’s also a great idea since pruning during this time is quite easy.
Don’t forget to check for signs of weakness. The heavy weight of snow and ice can be a great hazard. Therefore, make sure that your trees can handle that.
Hire Professionals for Year-Round Care
DIY tree maintenance is important. However, there are some things that you might want to leave to the experts. Some of these include pest and disease diagnosis and structural pruning. Other tasks like emergency storm damage cleanup should also be handled by the experts.
The reason for this is that professionals have the needed skills and expertise. They can therefore use them to do a proper assessment. Through this, they are able to identify potential issues. This information enables them to decide on the right measures to implement in tree management.
If you want to have a great-looking landscape, you need to integrate tree management. When you decide to do this, it’s important to have a good understanding of nature’s rhythm. Each season of the year presents its own challenges and needs. Having this comprehension enables you to ensure long-term health and vitality of your outdoor environment. However, DIY maintenance can be quite taxing. This is why you might want to reach out to professionals for assistance.
