Spring is here and there’s no better time to get outside and give your trees some love and care to prepare them for the heat of summer. Proper spring tree maintenance is essential for overall tree health and vitality, enhancing appearance and ensuring the safety of your home and property. And whilst a lot of jobs are best left to the professionals when it comes to trees, there are a number of things you can do yourself to help keep your trees in great shape. Here are our top tips for the best in DIY spring tree maintenance.
1. Safety Check
First things first – safety. Do an inspection of your trees to check for anything hazardous that could pose a safety risk. Check for any overhanging, dead or dying limbs that could fall and cause damage. If you are at all unsure, don’t have the appropriate tools or you’re not comfortable removing these hazards yourself, it’s a great idea to have a professional Arborist take care of it for you, for your safety, and for the benefit of the tree.
2. Check For Signs Of Pest Or Disease
While doing your Spring inspection, looks for any telltale signs of pest infestation and disease. If you find evidence of either pest or disease such as leaf discolouration, borer holes, or anything suspect, don’t delay in having it treated. Again, if you are at all unsure, have your local Arborist check it out and advise the best course of action.
3. Clean Up
An easy DIY win is to do a spring clean. Clear up any debris, rake up leaves and do a general tidy. This helps keep pests and disease away, reduces the likelihood of fungal growth and obviously looks great!
4. Prune
Pruning is essential for tree health and strength. Removing dead, dying or diseased limbs keeps pest and disease from spreading, improves structural integrity and lessens the risk of damage from falling limbs. It is absolutely critical that pruning be done using the proper techniques with the appropriate tools as not doing so can actually harm the tree.
5. Weed Removal And Prevention
Another easy DIY job is to remove any existing weeds which can compete with your trees for precious resources and harbour pests. Regularly weed around your trees and use mulch to help prevent them growing back.
6. Water
Ensuring your trees have enough water is vital for their good health. Spring is a critical time to ensure your trees have adequate water, especially if there hasn’t been a great deal of rain. Let your tree, and the ground surrounding it be your guide as to whether your tree needs more water, as over watering can actually cause issues such as root rot and fungus growth. Water trees in the late afternoon for best absorption.
7. Fertilise
If your trees are looking a little lack-lustre, a soil test can check for nutrient deficiencies. Adding a balanced, slow-release fertiliser can help put nutrients back into the soil, but do be careful to follow the recommended dosage as over-fertilisation can harm the tree.
8. Mulch
Mulch is a wonder food for trees and is easy-peasy to apply and budget friendly – win! Applying a fresh layer of mulch around the base of your trees helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, regulates soil temperature and helps keep pests away. Don’t pile the mulch right up to the trunk of the tree leave a space of approximately 15 centimetres to prevent root rot and disease.
9. Do Some Homework
Different types of trees have different requirements, so doing some research will help you understand what your particular tree likes and needs. Finding out the species will inform you as to what they are prone to, whether they require a lot of water, what they look like when they’re sick etc. and can be a handy guide for your care.
10. Arborist Inspection & Advice
While there are lots of things you can do yourself to help look after your trees, a professional Arborist inspection and maintenance schedule will provide your trees with the very best care. Certainly for more complex issues or for medium to large trees it’s a great idea to consult with a professional Arborist for your safety and for the health of your tree.
Professional Spring Tree Maintenance
For optimum tree health this spring, give your trees the very best care – speak to the team at Aussie Tree Solutions today. Our team of professionals have been providing the very best in tree care for decades, so no matter what your tree problem – we’ve got the solution! We provide a full suite of tree care and maintenance services from our expert consulting services to tree pruning and beautiful forest mulch. Give our friendly team a call today.