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                                                     HOW WE HURT OUR TREES

The sunshine of summer is a perfect offering for a less than perfect spring.  use it well to make up for the past imperfections. Now is the time when the trees bloom and remind us of new life.  If, however, your tree is not looking too lively this spring, the problem may not be the tree. It may be you.

The following is a compilation of what we do that actually hurts our trees:

Too Little Space

This problem is really at the root of many tree problem (pun intended!).  You thought the space by the garage would be perfect for that little Maple tree you planted. But now it looks as if the tree could push the garage aside.  The best way to solve this problem is forethought.  Know about the natural growth and growth potential.  Properly planning ahead could save you and you tree a lot of hassle.

Lawn Mower Blight

This refers to the broken bark and wounded trunks caused by a careless mower.  The occasional accidental bump is no problem, but repeated wounds to the tree can cause a problem.   The best way to avoid this is to have a grass free ring around the tree.  Your soil moisture level will also improve because grass won’t be robbing any nutrients from your tree.

Bad Pruning

Pruning should be done to enhance the health, strength, vigor and appearance of the tree as well as to prevent limbs from interfering with houses, driveway, sidewalks and wires.  If your tree has a few branch stubs after pruning, it has been badly pruned!

The most important thing to remember about pruning is:  stubs are bad.  They leave a very short limb with nothing to do except push out a bunch of fuzzy sprouts!  Also, a stub wound cannot close, making decay sure to follow.

When pruning, do not remove the ring collar or ridge at the branch base.  make your cuts nearly flush, but not quite.

Chemicals

Most of us use chemicals to fight weeds around our yards.  This is no problem if the directions are followed exactly.  The very same chemicals which cause the weeds to die can, of course, damage your tree, if used incorrectly.  Never use chemicals without reading (and following) all the instructions.

Bad Soil

When the contractors are building a house, they generally flip the first few layers of soil to aid their project.  This is good for the foundation of our house, but bad for our trees.  What nature had intended to be a top layer of soil is now several feet lower and so the roots of our trees are left searching for the proper nutrients.

You probably don’t want to flip your soil back the way it should be, but you can modify the soil to make it a better growth environment.  Soil amendments such as sand, peat, compost and proper drainage, can help your tree survive.

Bad Watering

This is simple.  The tree may be getting too much water or not enough.  Newly planted trees, and trees in hot, dry, windy weather conditions, need to be watered more frequently.  Consider whether this could be ailing your tree.

Bad Pets

No, I am not referring to dogs naturally “watering” your trees, here.  But if your dog is chained to your tree, the chain could be cutting into the bark.  Also, cats have been known to damage small trees by using them as a scratching post.  Keep your eyes open for this one.

Bad Trees

Okay, maybe the tree isn’t bad, but maybe it just wasn’t meant to grow in your area.  If it is a newly planted tree that is causing you a problem, maybe it was root bound from being in the container too long.  Sometimes, you just can’t fix the problem of a tree.  But at least you tried.

Mulching Mistakes

Spring’s unseasonably cold weather forced many to mulch when they should have waited for warmer weather.  Cold ground temperatures and early mulching of landscape plants are causing poor plant growth now.  The mulch acts as a blanket holding in the cold temperatures, keeping the plants form thriving.

When Mulch

Mulch is usually applied first in spring after the soil has warmed and begun to dry from winter rains and snow.  This is usually mid to late spring.  Mulching too early can delay drying of the soil and subsequent root growth, which is dependent upon sufficient aeration (Oxygen in soil) and reasonably warm temperatures in the root zone.  In a spring season like this year’s mulching should be delayed until May or June.

Mulch Mayhap

If you mulched during the colder early spring, and your plants are not looking their best, it’s not too late to help them.  Simply pull the mulch away from the base of the plant and let the soil underneath warm up and dry.  Once this is achieved, the base may be covered again with mulch.

Over Mulching

Don’t do a bad thing by piling 10-12” mounds of mulch around your tree. I don’t know how this style of mulching came into being, but it is NOT correct.

Don’t get caught up in mulch mania, two or three inches is enough.  Also, pull the mulch one or two inches away from the tree to prevent bark decay.