Whether you have just added a new tree to your landscaping or you have some already, there are certain things you can do to ensure your tree’s health and wellbeing. Even though older, more established trees require less time and attention for their upkeep, there are still some actions you can take to check up on them throughout their life at your home. Generally speaking, these tips can assist you in making a checklist to provide some guidance when it comes to keeping your garden happy and alive.

1. Fertilize Your Trees

By fertilizing your trees, they’ll have a higher chance of survival. Especially in domesticated areas and neighborhoods, giving your trees some fertilizer can help them receive the nutrients they need to stay balanced and well. Much like human beings need to eat to stay vitalized, trees need the same kind of care. In suburban areas, a tree’s health has the possibility of being compromised; giving them fertilizer allows them to regain what they lost in a much quicker way.

2. Add Mulch

Simply put, mulching your trees provides them with a greater quality of life. Materials such as wood chips are great to add to the base of your tree, right around where the trunk starts and right above the roots. This simple practice can help maintain temperature, improve oxygen levels, and keep them moist during dry summer days. This is one of the most beneficial things that you can do to assist your trees and keep them secure. Not only that, but mulching also gives your trees a very neat and tidy look to improve the landscape of your property.

General Tree Care Tips

3. Prune Your Trees

Pruning is not just for looks. While it is obvious that taking off a few of the excessive branches can give your tree the look you want, it can also help build a much stronger trunk. By removing some of the unnecessary limbs off your tree, you are not only taking away some of the water from the most important part of the tree, but the nutrients as well.

4. Dormant Spray Trees

Dormant spraying trees can make it easier for these trees to survive in the colder months. Especially during winter, trees that have fruit or flowers can survive some of the toughest times through the benefits of dormant spray. Basically, this kind of product helps kill some bugs and can prevent the tree from over winterizing. If you choose to go this route, be sure to do this only after the tree has been pruned and is ready to face the next few months.

5. Weed

Simply put, weeding will always help you keep the unwanted away. As in any garden, weeds will start to pop up in spring and can grow at a rapid rate. If you have a tree with several weeds all around, it’s more than likely that they are drinking a lot of the water that the tree needs to survive. By getting rid of them constantly, you can help your trees get the hydration they need. Not only that, but if you want your trees to stand out better from the rest, getting rid of all the weeds can certainly make them appear more clean cut. Having a tidy space around your trees is not just better for the trees, but it has been thought that a well-manicured lawn can increase the value of the property itself as well.

Overall, the nice thing about trees is that they are generally self-sufficient and are able to withstand a lot of extreme conditions during the different seasons. However, these tips were supposed to provide you with additional information for things that you can do to further solidify the future of your trees, especially if you live in an extremely urban area.

Stewart Scott is a certified arborist and is the owner of Cevet Tree Care, where he offers the best tree service Columbia MO has to offer. Cevet has provided tree trimming and other tree care services to mid-Missouri for almost 20 years.