Every season has its own unique list of things we should do when it comes to the trees and other landscaping around our homes and businesses. Here in Florida, summertime is peak season for heavy winds and rains, whether from our afternoon thunderstorms or from tropical weather systems. This is a perfect time to assess the safety of your large trees and help prevent damage to your property. Sometimes in addition to proper pruning, cabling or bracing trees with weak limbs, or removing weak limbs completely, may be necessary. It’s always best to consult with a certified arborist, like the ones at Mid-Florida Tree Service when making these decisions.
Here are a few basic
summer tree care tips that will help keep your trees healthy, growing strong and looking their best.
Firstly, watering trees may be necessary during the extreme heat of a Florida summer, especially if your trees are young or newly planted or when rainfall is at a minimum. Check your local rainfall amounts before deciding whether your trees need additional watering. Keep in mind, trees typically need on average an inch of water each week. Should watering be necessary, it’s best to slowly water for a longer period of time, slowly letting the water soak in than to quickly wet the ground soil only to the majority of it quickly evaporate in the summer sun before it reaches the roots.
Secondly, make sure your trees and shrubs have ample nutrition to help fend off pests and diseases, and to support overall growth. The tree’s overall environment is one key to determining its fertilization needs. Trees that grow in high-stress areas, such as urban or suburban environments, oftentimes have greater fertilization needs than trees that grow in natural areas.
Summer is also a good time to take time to examine trees for pests. Pests such as aphids, tent caterpillars, dogwood borers, magnolia scale, pine bark beetles, and spider mites are just some of the more common pests to look for in Florida. While a majority of pests aren’t typically harmful to trees, discovering any potential pest problems early on gives you a leg up on controlling them..
Mulching trees is an important step in the care of your trees. Not only does it cut down on weed competition, but it helps conserve soil moisture, and it helps stabilize soil temperatures. A general rule is to mulch trees with three to four inches of shredded hardwood mulch. Laying mulch is to form a donut shaped, even layer around the base of the tree is best. Do not mound place the mulch against the trunk as it can promote disease and insect issues by keeping the very base of the tree overly moist.
Tree pruning is part art and part science. While it is ideal for tree trimming to occur during a tree’s dormant season, there are times when pruning in the summer may be necessary. One time is for trees that flower in the springtime. Their ideal pruning time is early summer, just after they have finished blooming. A second time would be when there are diseased, dead, or damaged branches present. They should be pruned out for both safety reasons and for the health of the tree. It is wise to remember that large trees are best pruned by professionals like the people at Mid Florida Tree Service. The knowledgeable and friendly staff are there to help you when you need it.
