While the merits of city-living are all well and good, there are at least two things you just can’t beat with country living: the fresh air and the healthy trees. Living out of the city means you can look outside to see giant, beautiful trees all around you, adding tons of value to your property.
So how do you care for your trees, ensuring that they stay beautiful and healthy for as long as possible? Here are our 10 essential care tips to keep your trees looking great:
1. Leave It Be
As much as you want to care for your tree, remember: trees have lived on this earth for a lot longer than we have (and probably will continue living long after we’ve gone!). They don’t need you fussing around with it all the time. Fuss around with it too much and you might end up hurting it.
2. It’s Not Your Parking Spot
We get it – sometimes the day is incredibly hot and you want to make sure to park your car under the only bit of shade in the area; in most cases, this is right underneath a huge, healthy tree. But parking around the tree can actually be disastrous for its health. The more you park around the tree, the more compacted the soil becomes, making it difficult for the tree to live.
3. Be Aware
While it is important to let your tree grow and live on its own for the most part, sometimes it might need your helping hand. Learn about the trees in your area and figure out the diseases that are specific to those trees. As soon as you spot those species-specific diseases, you should be able to find out what exactly you have to do to help your tree get healthy again.
4. Regular Inspections
Take a walk around your property. Check out your trees and inspect the branches and leaves. You should be looking for anything that looks out of place – too much insect activity, an abundance of dead branches or twigs, strange colors and spots on the leaves, or mushrooms that might be growing around the tree. In most cases you can ignore these problems, but if the issue seems severe, it might be time to intervene.
5. Prune, But Not Too Much
The older your tree, the less you need to prune and trim it. Just focus on damaged or dead branches, as well as suckers coming up from the base of the tree. You also need to keep an eye out for water sprouts, which are thin growths that come out of older, thicker branches.
6. Be Careful With Your Tools
When dealing with weed whackers and lawn mowers, remember to be careful. Your tree might look gigantic and sturdy, but small nicks and cuts along the trunk or branches from your tools can increase the chances of your tree becoming diseased, which is the last thing you want.
7. Dig With Caution
One of the most dangerous killers of old, mature trees is digging and construction. While you might think that you are digging far enough from the tree to ensure its safety, remember that a tree’s root system can oftentimes extend up to three times further than its branches.
With bigger trees, constructing even 30 metres from its base can possibly damage its roots and compact its soil. This leads to the tree’s eventual death, which can take months or even years. Before building a shed, laying a driveway, or building any kind of annex to your home, discuss with a professional arborist the best way to keep your surrounding trees safe.
8. Water and Fertilise Accordingly
Many homeowners make the mistake of not knowing how much fertilising and watering their large trees require. While younger trees can definitely benefit from some extra watering and fertilising, mature and healthy trees generally don’t need as much care and attention. Some trees are used to dry conditions, meaning even a regular sprinkler system can lead to disease or death.
9. Mulch Is Your Tree’s Best Friend
You can never give your tree too much mulch. Regularly surround the base of your tree with mulch, in layers of up to 4 inches thick. The mulch should start just around the trunk and go as far as a meter out on all sides. Mulch helps to keep your tree safe from lawn tools, while also keeping away the weeds and pushing in the moisture.
10. Get A Professional Arborist On Your Team
Like any job out there, you’re much likelier to find success if you have a professional on your team. An arborist knows everything there is to know about proper tree care and maintenance, providing services such as pruning, tree removal, emergency tree care, planting, plant health care, consulting, tree risk assessment and more.
Simply put, professional arborists can answer any lingering doubts or questions you might have about your trees and proper tree maintenance. There’s no better way to ensure the longevity of healthy trees.
Aussie Tree Solutions: Your Professional Arborist
Need help with your trees in Brisbane? Aussie Tree Solutions is your answer. We’re the top team of professional arborists in the area, and have worked with hundreds of clients and countless trees. We can ensure your trees are kept safe, beautiful and healthy.
Just call us today for an obligation free tree maintenance quote!
*All tree work should be done in accordance to local council regulations. Before conducting any tree work please contact either your local council or tree specialists for the latest regulations. Aussie Tree Solutions are professional tree removal, pruning and maintenance experts. For any questions relating these services, please call Aussie Tree Solutions on 07 3351 1722.