Your trees and shrubs need special attention at times in order to stay healthy and vibrant. You do not have to be an expert arborist to be able to give your plants the care they deserve. This article covers essential tree and shrub care tips that you can manage on your own.
Trees and shrubs need to be fed at times. As for watering, they need water but they actually do not need to be watered too often. If there is a dry spell, it is essential to provide your trees and shrubs with water, but ordinarily, their roots will obtain much of the moisture they need from the soil. This is one reason you will notice dry spots on the ground near a tree. When the plants have been planted, they will need an extra inch of water every week. This is usually necessary for the first year or two. After that, they can be watered as usual. The natural levels of rainfall in your area should suffice. If you do experience a drought, use your garden hose or sprinklers to give them the moisture that they need. Feeding them involves fertilizing them. If your trees and shrubs are planted in the grass in your yard, you can use the fertilizer you use on the grass to feed them. If this fertilizer has herbicides in it, this will help kill off any broadleaf weeds so it will do double duty and will keep weeds away from your lawn and your trees. You love the look your trees and shrubs give your yard and your home. It is not difficult to take extra care of them. You only need some good fertilizer, mulch and a set of pruning shears. You can also get help caring for your trees from your local arborist or landscape service. |
Use mulch to help younger trees grow strong and healthy. Add it about three feet to ten feet around the plant when you plant it. Pack it lightly around the tree base. Cut away any grass around the tree base before you plant it, incidentally, as this can harm the young tree rather than help it. Mulch helps the tree stay moist, it keeps weeds away, it stops soil compaction and it also insulates and protects the soil.
You should trim or prune your tree branches to keep them healthy. Be careful about cutting them at their main branches. This is called topping, and it may make them grow back weak or in an unattractive manner. Prune your trees gradually and never take off more than a quarter of the tree crown during a season. Thinning branches out is another good idea. This helps produce better blooms or fruits on your shrubs. The best time to prune shrubs is during the winter. Trees that bloom in the summer get pruned in the early spring. For a full calendar of pruning, ask your local tree trimming experts or your landscape company. Different shrubs and trees have different requirements regarding pruning. |