Top Tips for Spring Tree Care

As we enter into spring and embark on the warmer months, many homeowners are left grappling with caring for their trees. Questions concerning trees as they come out of dormancy and keeping trees healthy in the spring swirl around tree-loving homeowner’s minds.

These questions and so many others are about to be demystified, so you can feel confident that your trees are going to thrive all year-round.

The A, B and C’s of Caring for Trees This Spring & Year-Round

• Understand dormancy and how it works - Trees have an extremely resilient nature and inner intelligence that allow them to go dormant during bitter cold periods of winter and, like clockwork, wake up when spring finally brings warmer temperatures. Scientists determined that trees actually block communication between the cells inside the bud during winter, preventing growth cells from developing.

• Inspect your trees and shrubs - Once cooler months give way and the temperatures slowly begin to climb, it’s a good time to take a venture outdoors and examine the state of your trees and shrubs. During a harsh winter, the conditions can have an impact on the well-being of your trees and shrubbery. Look for injuries from freezing temperatures that may have caused the bark to split or browning on evergreens from winter burn. Spring is the essential time to treat any of these issues and prevent them from causing further damage.

• Prune away dead branches - It’s time to grab the pruning shears and clear away the dead branches. The general rule of thumb is to prune spring-flowering trees and shrubs after they flower in the spring. The flower buds from those plants were set in fall, so the shearing or shaping of these plants in the spring will result in fewer flowers. Individual limbs can be removed if they are crossing another limb, are damaged or if you want to improve the shape of the plant. It’s also highly recommended to prune at this time to improve airflow and light penetration.

• Break out the mulch - Your mulching efforts at the start of spring will help retain moisture, even if the temperatures drop to extreme levels as they can do during the unpredictable spring. Mulching has many other benefits, including weed prevention and lessening the likelihood of attacks from borers, ants and beetles. Three inches of mulch is all you need, but be sure to avoid piling mulch on tree trunks to form “mulch volcanoes".

• Begin watering - Step up your tree watering game as you enter spring and gear up for summer. It's best to water deeply but infrequently, don’t over water and water during periods of drought. Also, monitor moisture levels, making sure your trees don’t dry out. This is an excellent time to check on the sprinkler system too, ensuring it's working properly and that the coverage is accurate.

Caring for trees and shrubs requires a year-round effort. As we exit the cooler months and step into spring, we can help our trees thrive by following a few routine steps.

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