9 Spring Tree Maintenance Tips

Are you among the 77% of American households who will participate in spring cleaning this year? After you tend to the chores around your home, don’t forget to spend time doing outdoor spring cleaning tasks as well.

Since spring is when the earth comes back to life and plants start to bloom again, it’s the perfect time to take care of tree maintenance tasks you may have been putting off.

If you’re not sure about proper spring tree care, you’ve come to the right place for help!

Keep reading to learn about the most important tree maintenance tips to do in the spring to help your trees thrive all year long.

1. Inspect Trees for Winter Damage

During the chilly winter months, your trees are susceptible to damage from sleet and rain.

Start by taking a close look at your trees to see if you notice any signs of damage. Some of the most common signs are broken limbs strewn across your property and splintered bark.

If your trees have exposed roots, pay careful attention to them, as they’re more susceptible to serious winter damage.

2. Clean the Area Around the Trees

It’s natural for your yard to be neglected during the winter. Once you notice the first signs of spring, it’s a great time to go out and pick up any debris that’s fallen under your trees. Rake up fallen leaves and twigs, so that you’re giving your trees a nice, fresh start for the new season.

Best of all, you’ll not only be helping your trees, but you could help yourself as well. Research shows that spending time outdoors can be an effective way to boost your mood and improve your overall mental health.

3. Prune Your Trees

Once you’ve cleared out the space around the base of the tree, it’s time to focus on the tree itself. Prune away any damaged, broken, or dead branches that are still attached to the tree.

This will give the tree the space it needs for the new growth of healthy limbs. It can also help contribute to the overall health of your tree. And, regular pruning may deter pests from infesting the area.

4. Check for and Remove Pests

Speaking of pests, they’re attracted to trees during the winter, so it’s important to look out for potential infestations come spring. If you’re not the squeamish type, you can remove smaller pests like caterpillars from the area yourself. However, be sure to wear gloves and take safety precautions when doing so, as you might be allergic to the bugs without realizing it.

Alternatively, you can spray the area with a hose to drive out harmful pests naturally.

5. Promote Healthy Trees by Fertilizing Them

Fertilizing your trees in the spring is one of the best things you can do to keep them healthy. When trees grow in nature, they’re naturally fertilized each year, thanks to decaying materials around them.

However, the trees in your yard need extra help to stay healthy. By fertilizing your trees in the spring, you’ll help them to build immunity against pests and diseases, so they have the nutrients they need to thrive.

6. Lay Down New Mulch

When’s the last time you put out new mulch in your garden? While many people like mulch because it adds to the curb appeal of a yard, it actually plays an important part in tree growth too.

When you apply mulch underneath a tree, it helps prevent weeds and keeps in moisture from dew and rain. It can also benefit the soil, which, in turn, benefits your trees.

However, when you lay down mulch, take care not to put it too close to the tree trunk and don’t apply a high layer of it. When mulch is over the tree trunk, it can become too much of a good thing. Eventually, it can damage the tree’s roots and allow too much moisture to build up, which can cause deterioration.

7. Water Your Trees

Most of the time, you probably assume that your trees get enough water from rainfall. While this is mostly true, it’s important to water your trees in the spring, when the soil is soft and ready to absorb nutrients.

This will help your tree to bloom properly and encourage healthy new leaf growth as the weather continues to get warmer. If you don’t want to spend time watering the trees yourself, you can install a soaking irrigation system to deliver the water to the tree’s roots.

8. Plant New Trees

If you’ve been thinking about new adding more trees to your yard, there’s no better time to do it than in the spring. Before you start planting, be sure to do some research about which types of trees will thrive most in this area.

You should also get guidance about where to plant new trees, so they don’t overcrowd your existing trees.

9. Consult With an Expert

If you have any concerns about your trees, springtime is the perfect opportunity to talk with an expert arborist about any questions you may have. In doing so, you can prevent costly damage down the road.

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Originally Posted On: 9 Spring Tree Maintenance Tips (aaatrees.net)