The dog days are almost upon us. With gardens and grass to tend to, we oftentimes to give love to our friends that make it all possible: our trees.
Storms, pests, and disease threaten our trees, especially when it’s warm. Following are the 4 Big Steps of Summer Tree Care to ensure your trees are getting the love and protection they deserve.
1. Evaluate
You care about your trees but you may not have the knowledge it takes to properly care for them. Summer is the perfect time to ask for a little help from a professional arborist that can help you identify threatening situations like limb weakness, drought stress, disease, or infestation.
2. Water
Though it depends on the species, most Midwestern trees need a little supplemental water during the dry, hot months of summer. If you see wilted, undersized, scorched or yellowing leaves, your tree may be experiencing drought stress.
During and after periods of drought, make sure your tree is getting enough water. It’s best to water in the morning with a sprinkler that covers the entire root zone, which likely extends beyond the canopy. Mature trees need a slow, deep watering once a week during times of drought. Young trees will need to be watered twice a week during a drought.
3. Prune
Dead, diseased, or failing branches need to be removed for the health of the tree and the safety of those spending time outdoors. Pruning in summer months allows more sunlight to penetrate the canopy to lower leaves and plants below. If you aren’t comfortable doing it yourself, a professional tree service can help prune for the greatest health and safety.
4. Cable
Heavy wind and rains from summer storms can ruin your tree’s structure. Cabling weak limbs before a storm hits can save you costly repairs to your home, cars, and property as well as keep your tree intact. A tree professional can help you make a call on which limbs you should cable or brace.
