Monitor your trees for diseases —. One of the pleasures of living in the countryside is being surrounded by big, wonderful trees. Not only do they add shade and beauty, they also greatly increase the value of your property. Replacing even a small tree can cost hundreds of dollars.
Therefore, it only makes sense to protect your investment and care for the trees so that they can be cherished for generations. Here are 10 tips to keep your trees healthy. Even if it seems that construction is taking place relatively far from a tree, remember that a root system can extend two to three times longer than branches. In the case of a mature tree, heavy machinery operating even 60 feet away can compact the soil and damage the roots, causing the tree to die within a few months or slowly over several years.
Whether you're installing a driveway or building a shed, take a moment to talk to a contractor about tree protection and specify where heavy equipment can and cannot go. It is best to delimit the areas around the trees during construction. Place stakes in areas that are at least 10 feet from the tree's drip line, that is, as far as the branches of the tree extend. One of the best things you can do for a tree is to place a wide, even layer of mulch around the trunk.
It will insulate the soil around the tree's roots, keep power tools away, discourage foot traffic, and improve the soil as it decays. Use mulch made from wood chips or shredded wood. Spread it three to four inches deep around the tree; the wider the area covered with mulch, the better. Distribute the mulch in an even layer without piling it up against the bark.
This can lead to rot and disease. The method Canopy recommends is to remove as much of the ivy as possible by hand, including the roots. Ivy that is climbing a tree must first be cleaned from the base of the trunk. The ivy should then be cut 2 to 3 feet around the base of the tree.
Tearing down the topmost ivy can damage the bark of the tree. Once detached from the roots, the ivy will die and can be removed. Chances are, you won't kill all the ivy this way and that some of it will come back. Often, you'll have an 80% success rate the first time and go back to 20%.
Keep it up, in the end you will succeed. The area less than 10 feet (or more) from the trunk of a native oak tree must remain intact and free of vegetation and irrigation. Ideally, do not irrigate or install grass in the area that extends from the base of the trunk to the drip line of the tree. It's best to remove existing grass within the drip line; this will reduce competition from other plants and help get rid of excess moisture.
Do not water or allow water to accumulate around the roots. Do not allow sprinklers to spray the trunk. As the tree matures, if watering continues around the trunk, the fungal infestation continues, which in turn causes the death of the tree, or it rolls over because it has too few roots to fix its upper weight. The arborist can also inspect the tree to see if the branches are poorly attached and periodically check their safety.
Mature trees grow more slowly than young trees and are very sensitive to the environment around them. The first thing you can do to take care of the health of mature trees is to make sure that the amount of water supplied is adequate for your tree. It is important to place mulch around the base of the trees (with the exception of trees that are in a wooded environment). While trees planted in the last three to four years benefit from additional fertilization and irrigation, large trees can be harmed by fertilizer use and excess water.