How to Care for Newly Planted Trees
As we tell our customers all the time, fall is the best time to plant a tree. A previous blog explains that trees planted in the fall have the benefit of three seasons to adjust to a new environment before the stress of summer’s heat hits. If you recently planted a tree on your residential or commercial property, you may be wondering how to best protect that investment. There are simple steps that can ensure your newly planted tree gets off to a healthy start.
Provide Adequate Water
Water is essential to the ongoing life and health of every tree. For a newly transplanted tree, it is especially important. Planting is extremely stressful for a tree. Without the established root system that trees develop over the years, a new transplant doesn’t have the ability to search the soil for needed moisture. If a newly planted tree doesn’t get the hydration it needs while building a healthy root system, it may not survive. For this reason, it is important to water trees during dry periods for the first few years after planting during which time the root system is being established.
Weed Around the Tree
During times when the soil is dry, all plants will compete for whatever water can be found in the soil. Since water is vital for a tree’s survival, you will want to make sure that there are no unwanted plants competing with your newly transplanted tree for water. Get rid of all weeds that are growing near the base of the tree and weed regularly to make sure that these nuisance plants don’t have a chance to put down their own roots.
Apply Mulch Correctly
To help keep moisture in the soil around a newly planted tree, it is a good idea to mulch around the tree. This will also prevent weeds from springing up and diverting moisture from the tree. However, it is important to apply mulch correctly. Mulching too heavily or too close to the base of the tree can cause serious damage to any tree. For more information on how to mulch correctly, see our blog on this topic.
Delay Pruning
We’ve talked about what to do for your tree, but there are also things you should not do. Heavy pruning is one tree care task that should not be done immediately after planting. While sometimes it is necessary to take off a few branches, in most circumstances it is best to delay pruning for at least a year. You don’t want to add more stress to an already stressed tree.
The investment of a tree can yield rewards for many years to come. It is worthwhile to administer proper care to newly planted trees as they become healthy and established. Put the effort in now and you will have a beautiful tree to enjoy for years to come. Ping’s would love to partner with you in keeping your trees strong and healthy. From planting to trimming to diagnosing problems, the experts at Ping’s know how to apply best tree care practices. We’ll help you get the most out of your tree investments.
This post first appeared on https://pingstreeservice.com