Properly caring for trees will benefit your yard or garden and enhance the comfort and elegance of your surroundings. Here are a few suggestions for what you can do to grow and maintain beautiful, healthy trees.
- Learn to identify and understand the growth habits of your trees. This may take several seasons, but you will be able to notice any unusual changes and take action to correct problems before they become severe.
- When adding or replacing trees in the landscape, choose pest-resistant varieties that have been suggested for your area by a local nursery or County Cooperative Extension agent.
- Newly planted trees require 2–3 years for their root systems to become fully established. During this time, extra watering and special care are necessary, such as carefully timed fertilizer applications.
- Avoid damaging a trees bark with lawn mowers, trimmers or other gardening tools. A mulch ring around the tree will help protect the tree from these garden tools.
- Prune trees only when necessary and at the correct time. Although pruning can help restore vigor to a tree and improve its appearance, removing substantial amounts of healthy growth can have an adverse effect, as can pruning at the wrong time.