Trees are a major component of the landscape and provide many benefits, such as enhancing property value, providing oxygen, and sheltering wildlife. Proper tree care ensures their continued health and reduces the risk of disease and damage to structures and people.
Mulching helps retain soil moisture and weeds while providing a cool root layer. Drought monitoring and supplemental watering are important for young trees, while soil treatments (like air spades) improve compacted or poor-quality soil. Contact Higuera Tree Care now!
The two terms pruning and trimming are often used interchangeably, but they have specific meanings in the world of tree and shrub care. Pruning is removing dead, diseased or damaged branches to improve the health and strength of the plant. It also includes thinning the canopy to allow for more sunlight penetration and air circulation. Pruning is usually done during the growing season to encourage bushier growth, but it can be performed at any time during a plant’s life cycle.
Trees that aren’t pruned regularly become overgrown, resulting in an unsightly and unbalanced appearance. These overgrown trees are also more susceptible to disease and insect infestation. Proper pruning helps a tree grow in a healthy manner, increasing its overall strength and beauty.
When performing pruning, it’s important to know the different types of cuts and when they’re needed. Crown cleaning, for example, involves removing diseased, broken, storm-damaged or crossing or rubbing branches from the crown of the plant. It can be performed at any time of the year and will help strengthen a tree by allowing it to focus its energy on new growth.
Other types of pruning include crown thinning, which reduces the density of the tree’s canopy by removing specific live branches and opening up areas that are overcrowded. It increases sunlight penetration and air circulation, which can prevent fungus and insects from thriving in these areas. It also can reduce stress on selected limbs by reducing the weight of the limbs and lowering the risk of a branch falling during a windstorm.
It’s crucial to avoid cutting the bark ridge and branch collar when performing pruning. This can create wounds that are unable to close and lead to future problems. It’s also not recommended to use pruning paint or tar, as these substances inhibit the tree’s ability to heal.
Getting pruning and trimming services done regularly by a qualified professional will help ensure the health and beauty of your landscaping trees and shrubs. It will also reduce the risk of damage and safety hazards caused by overgrown limbs, and help your plants to thrive.
Staking and Guiding
Trees play a crucial role on both the macro level across our planet and the micro level in our backyards. They provide a natural, aesthetic focal point for the landscape while also providing oxygen and enhancing property value. Because of the importance of trees, it is important to provide them with the care they need to thrive. Tree services can help ensure that your property’s trees are healthy and well-maintained, which will lead to their longevity and beauty. There are several different types of tree services, including pruning, staking, and guiding.
While staking is often used to support newly planted trees or wind-blown trees, it is not necessary in most cases. In fact, staking can be harmful to the tree if done incorrectly or for too long.
Staking can be done by using stakes or guy wires, which are typically anchored to the ground and then run up to the trunk of the tree or lowest branches. A standard staking method involves one stake placed about halfway up the stem of the tree, which provides enough support to help keep the tree from leaning or blowing over in high winds. A more permanent system of staking is called guying, which involves three ground-level anchors evenly spaced around the planting hole and then lines of flexible material from each anchor encircling the trunk or limbs of the tree.
In either case, staking should never be more than a temporary solution. If a tree is staked for too long, it will become reliant on the stakes and may have trouble supporting itself once they are removed. It is also important to check the staking or guy wires regularly to make sure they are not girdling the trunk or rubbing against it, which can damage the tree.
Proper staking can also help to guide the growth of young trees, especially in confined spaces or on slopes where the tree may need to grow upright. A good rule of thumb is to wrap the first set of branches about half to two-thirds of the distance up the trunk, making sure there are no loose or tangled branches near the top of the tree.
Irrigation
Trees need consistent, deep watering to support root development and overall plant health. Regular watering is a critical part of any tree care plan, especially during drought stresses and to prevent the onset of root diseases.
Using an automatic irrigation system is highly recommended for the best results, as it will allow you to monitor and adjust your trees’ watering schedule based on the weather, soil conditions and other factors. The type of dripper (flow rate) used is also important, as different soil types require a range of flow rates to achieve optimal penetration and absorption.
For example, sandy soils may require a lower flow rate to avoid runoff, while clay soils need a slightly higher flow rate to ensure adequate penetration. In addition, hotter climates have higher evaporation rates and thus need higher flows to compensate for water loss.
Watering too often can cause water stress, which leads to inefficient nutrient uptake and slow growth. Inadequate watering will lead to shallow root growth and stunted, weakened trunks that are more susceptible to damage, disease and stormy weather.
The amount of water required by a tree depends on the type of soil, sun exposure and weather conditions. Generally, trees should be watered regularly and deeply to the drip line (the area where rain or irrigation water falls on the outer edge of the canopy) throughout the growing season.
Overwatering can be as damaging as underwatering, as it keeps roots from getting the oxygen they need to thrive. It is best to check the soil moisture with a probe before watering to avoid overwatering.
A thick layer of mulch around the base of a tree helps conserve water, cools the soil, improves soil health and controls weeds. However, avoid rock or plastic mulches that heat the soil and prevent aeration of the roots.
Newly planted trees within their first couple of years need frequent watering to help them establish a strong root system in the soil. In the fall, reducing sprinkler usage to match actual rainfall can avoid overwatering, which is common when leaves begin falling and aeration of the soil slows down.
Pest and Disease Control
Trees can be afflicted with a variety of diseases and pests that threaten their health and longevity. Some of these problems are preventable and can be controlled with sound plant management. A healthy soil helps trees resist disease and pests. Choosing and planting disease-resistant tree species will help limit the damage caused by pests, and a regular monitoring program can spot warning signs like discolored leaves or fungus growth.
Tree pests and diseases can cause irreparable damage to the landscape. They often spread from one tree to another as the result of insect-to-insect contact or from environmental stressors like drought, temperature extremes, and air pollution. Infestations can quickly grow out of control, leading to the need for tree removal and replacement.
ISA Certified Arborists have the tools and experience to identify and treat problems as they appear. In the case of invasive insects such as the emerald ash borer or lethal new diseases like beech leaf disease or oak wilt, it is especially important to address them quickly and effectively.
When pests or diseases begin to appear, the ISA certified arborists will closely observe the trees and shrubs for any unusual symptoms. A sudden drop in leaves or a loss of vigor, bark cracking or splitting, fungus growing on roots or trunks, or open holes in the bark all signal that something is amiss and immediate action is required.
In addition to a thorough inspection, a range of pest and disease treatments are available to our clients. These include soil injections, tree trunk injections, systemic fungicides and insecticides, and insect repellents. The ISA Certified Arborists will recommend a treatment for your unique situation that provides the most benefit to your landscape.
Observation and early identification of pests and diseases will reduce the impact to your landscape, the environment, and your pocketbook. A combination of good tree care practices and routine plant management along with a strong nutrient program will support the natural resistance of your plants to pests and diseases. Proper pruning techniques improve airflow and light penetration through the canopy to enhance photosynthesis, which will minimize fungal infections and promote overall health of your trees and landscape.
