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Planting shade trees on your landscaping has many amazing benefits. Underneath a large shade tree is the best location for a backyard barbeque or for kids to enjoy some much-needed time outside. It will also keep your home cooler when temperatures rise.

To get all of the benefits of shade trees, you need to plant the correct species of tree and care for them correctly.

OH Tree Trimming has recommendations for the best trees to plant for shade, and some expert advice on taking care of your shade trees so they grow strong and healthy.

Planting Trees for Shade

Any tree can technically provide shade, but there are some species that are built for maximum shade. These types of trees often have a thick, wider canopy that extends out nearly as far as it does upward.

In the following paragraphs, we’ve provided some examples of shade trees based on whether they would be best planted in your back or front yard.

Back Yard Shade Trees

Shade trees in the back yard are typically for the homeowner’s benefit. Next-door neighbors and passersby usually won’t see these trees very much, so they can be purely for shade and enjoyment.

Besides just shade, these trees can create year-round color and some extra privacy.

Here are popular options:

• Magnolia
• Sugar maple or silver maple
• Weeping willow
• Weeping cherry
• Red oak

If you have the space, a live oak is a fantastic choice. Live oaks are considered the fastest growing shade trees, and are able to get very big. An older live oak is able to grow up to 80 feet tall and as much as 100 feet wide.

Many of these back yard shade tree suggestions get pretty big, so you need to do your research to find out if the tree is going to have enough space to reach maturity.

If there is not enough room, the tree’s root system can damage your fencing or even your home foundation. You will also have to prune the tree every year to keep it manageable. A tree that is too big for its yard will most likely have to be cut down, which is an unfortunate and sometimes costly situation.

Front Yard Shade Trees

In the front yard, you are planting trees for your enjoyment as well, but these trees will be much more beneficial for adding value and curb appeal to your home since they can be seen.

Choose shade trees for the front yard that are a little smaller so they don’t overshadow your home and landscaping. These trees should complement your landscaping in both color and size, while still creating lots of shade for front yard relaxation and play.

These are some of the shade trees OH Tree Trimming recommends:

Red maple
River birch
Dogwood
White oak
Ginkgo tree

These trees are colorful throughout the year, and they’ll exude even more color in the fall months.
Another good option for your front or side yard is the ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae. This hedge-like tree can be planted in a long row with others to create privacy and shade.

With options in mind, we encourage you to plant trees you like. In truth, any tree can grow to become a “shade tree.” As long as the trees you choose are suitable for the climate in Ohio, they will provide your home and landscaping with some shade.

Benefits of Planting Shade Trees

The benefits of having shade for your home are numerous — there are a few that you probably don’t typically think about.

Shade, Obviously – When temperatures get too hot, you don’t need to hide indoors if you have a comfortable, shady yard. Put a chair or hammock below your biggest shade tree and relax outside as long as you like.

Climate Control – Trees can regulate the temperature in your yard and inside your house. Not only do trees protect you from glaring sun, but they can make it feel 10-15 degrees colder below their protective canopies. This results in less solar radiation on your roof and siding as well, which should also result in more affordable energy costs!

Better Air Quality – Trees produce oxygen and expel pollutants, so there is healthier air surrounding your house. Arbor Day Foundation research states that one mature tree absorbs around 48 pounds of CO2 out of the air.

Safety for Animals – If you’re into bird watching or think squirrels and chipmunks are cute, your trees can give them all they will need to build a shelter, find nearby food and raise babies.

Fun – What child doesn’t want a backyard tree house or tire swing? If you have small children, shade trees can provide hours of fun and joyful memories.

How to Care for Shade Trees

Maintaining shade trees is pretty simple as long as you’ve chosen the type of trees for the weather in Ohio. Trees are strong and durable after the first few years, needing little attention or care.

Consult an arborist from OH Tree Trimming if you have any questions about how to care for your trees, or to help you decide the perfect tree for your yard.

After you have decided on the perfect shade tree(s) for your yard, follow this easy care guide until your shade tree is fully grown.

Planting Your Shade Tree

The east, west and south sides of your property get the most sun, so plant your new trees on one of these sides of your yard. This is two-fold: 1) the trees will provide the most amount of shade and 2) they will also receive the maximum amount of sun to grow healthy.

Trimming Your Shade Tree

Trim during the first year or two after planting the tree in order to shape it and help it form a strong structure. To be safe, and for the best results, call OH Tree Trimming for tree trimming in Ohio. A certified arborist will arrive at your home and deliver professional care for the tree.

Watering Your Shade Tree

Watering a new tree is crucial. This helps them form a deep and strong root system and will give the tree stability in the long run.

Fertilizing Your Shade Tree

Homeowners should fertilize a shade tree just like you would any other tree in order to aid growth. Fertilizer is not a requirement for caring for a shade tree, but it can assist in helping your tree to grow faster and produce more leaves, which are the primary source of your shade.

We hope this information was helpful! Remember, when it comes time to prune or trim a new shade tree, OH Tree Trimming can help! Call us and a certified arborist in Ohio will visit your home, examine the tree and lay out the best maintenance plan for its long-term health and growth.

Tree trimming is best left to professionals. It’s dangerous work, climbing trees, wielding chainsaws and lowering heavy branches to the ground; and it is sometimes dangerous for the tree too. Trees that are improperly pruned can sustain a lifetime of problems.

Rather than putting yourself and putting the tree at risk, call someone who is trained and experienced to do the job for you.

This will result in stronger trees and a safer environment surrounding your home for many reasons:

• Healthier trees are sturdier and less likely to cause damage during severe storms
• Cared for trees don’t attract or spread diseases and parasites
• Pruned trees produce more flowers or fruit
• Pruned trees offer shade while still allowing air to flow through their canopies and your property

OH Tree Trimming highly recommends trimming trees that are near your home or those that are an integral part of your property.

Is Tree Trimming Necessary?

It is not required. But it is important. Trees are hardy and grow on their own across the world, in a variety of different climates and locations, without being trimmed.

That said, there are many benefits of professional tree trimming, so it’s recommended for trees that you care about. This includes sentimental trees, fruit trees and blossoming trees or trees that offer an important service for your home, such as shade or home to wildlife.

Tree Pruning Gone Wrong

Trimming a tree is a difficult task. You need the correct equipment and a lot of information to guarantee the project is done correctly. The vast majority of homeowners don’t have either of these!

But that’s not a problem, because there are several companies available who know how to properly trim trees for an affordable price to you including all of the certified arborists in Ohio we team up with!

Below are the 5 most common mistakes people make when they attempt DIY tree pruning that can lead to many tree problems. These are things that a certified arborist from OH Tree Trimming will know, and that’s the reason why their services are worth the price!

Pruning Too Much

When done the right way, tree pruning is a never-ending process. Starting when your trees are only 2 or 3 years old, they should be looked after by an expert if you value them and desire to keep them healthy.

A huge mistake homeowners often make when pruning trees themselves is cutting too much of the tree at a time. This happens because they let the tree’s growth get out of control and try to fix it all at once. Ideally, you should only cut off 5-20% of the tree’s crown at the actual removal cut. It is easier to do this during a time of year that there are no leaves, but an experienced arborist is able to properly prune trees any time of year.

Trimming in the Wrong Place

A certified tree specialist knows exactly where to trim each limb to prevent damage. This cut should be made just beyond the branch collar, the exact place where the branch connects to the tree trunk.

Cutting too close to the branch collar exposes the tree to decay, mildew and pests. Cutting too far from it leaves an unsightly stump when the tree recovers. Most DIY tree pruning leads to an improper cut, leaving either aesthetic or structural problems.

Trimming Large Branches

Branches any larger than 4 inches in diameter shouldn’t be trimmed unless it is necessary. Cutting off a branch this large can cause imbalance in the tree and expose it to pests and rodents and rot as the tree recovers from such a large loss.

Conservative trimming every year ensures that your tree trimmer only has to cut off branches that are 2-3 inches in diameter, which leads to a more attractive shape for the tree and less risk of harming the tree or exposing it to decay and insects.

Topping the Tree

Tree topping is no longer a type of pruning, and for good reason! In this process, tree trimming companies would just cut the top off of the tree to achieve the desired height. It was not attractive nor beneficial for the tree, so the majority of tree care companies do not practice tree topping currently.

As a DIY tree trimming, you may think this is an easy way to lower the height of your tree with just a single cut, but once you have cut off the top of a tree, there’s virtually no chance that it will ever regain a natural shape.

The Solution? Call OH Tree Trimming

Let’s face it. Your tree may never recover from bad trimming.

Performing this job yourself might seem like a good way to save money, but you could end up with way more expenses trying to revive damaged trees, so it’s really safer (and more economical in the long run) to hire a certified arborist in Ohio from OH Tree Trimming.

Limbs aren’t going to grow back. The tree will grow more, but not in the same places, which produces strange shapes that could take years to correct. The tree could end up looking bad for the remainder of its life, all because of a single trimming mistake.

Bad trimming could also cause death of the tree. Removing too many limbs (and, therefore, leaves) can affect the tree’s photosynthesis process, which means it won’t get all of the water it needs or enough carbon dioxide and sunlight to continue growing.

Cutting too many branches could also send the tree into a state of shock. Shock isn’t always permanent, but it takes a great deal of care and patience. Even with the right maintenance, a tree experiencing shock may still die.

Avoid all of these tree pruning mistakes and call OH Tree Trimming to speak with a tree care specialist in Ohio able to devise a plan to ensure your tree continues blossoming and looking beautiful for years to come!

Trees are living organisms, so that means that they can get “sick” just like humans and animals. A disease or other tree issue might take a while to show itself because of the sheer size of the tree, and once you see a symptom, it could be too late to restore the tree.

A certified arborist from OH Tree Trimming can help you identify and treat tree issues so that there is a much greater chance of keeping the tree. Learn about our service here. Not only can an arborist help to prevent a tree from dying, but they are also able to help trees get healthier growth and bloom more flowers or fruit.

Have you noticed a tree on your property that has always seemed healthy but suddenly looks like something is wrong? In the next section, we’ll explain some of the most typical tree issues and what these symptoms mean.

If you notice any of these things on any of your trees, act fast to have the best chance of saving the tree and the ones nearby it.

Tree Diseases & Common Problems

These 7 things are the most frequent problems encountered by experienced arborists in Ohio. Once you think one of these things might be wrong with your tree, reach out to someone with the knowledge and tools to help!

Tree Diseases

Leaf Rust – Leaf rust is a fungus that is very common in both plants and trees. The name originates from the brown and yellow spots this disease creates on the leaves.

Leaf rust is bad because it prevents the leaves’ photosynthesis, the process by which it breathes. Leaf rust can be tended to with fungicides and selective pruning of the diseased leaves. It might be necessary to cut off whole branches with leaf rust.

Witches’ Broom – This tree disease results in a large mass of twigs, dead leaves and branches that look like a broom shape. It is caused by pests, unusually wet weather or fungus. The formation of a clump of twigs and leaves is the tree’s reaction to infection or harm.

Some cases of Witches’ Broom are deadly for the tree, others are only considered a growth malformation. A tree care specialist can diagnose the issue.

Mildew – Mildew is a type of fungus that grows on just about anything in moist conditions, but even after the moist conditions are gone, mildew can continue to thrive. Mildew appears as a powdery texture, usually white, and it usually appears on the leaves of a tree first.

The trick to treating mildew is to apply a fungicide that includes sulfur. This will remove the existing mildew and prevent future mildew growth on the tree. You may also need to trim the tree to remove branches, fruit, flowers and any leaves that were affected by the mildew

Gall – Gall is a tree disease that appears when insects build small nests on the leaves or twigs of a tree to leave their eggs in. Most galls are not harmful to the tree, but they are not attractive.

Gall appears as as bumps on the tree, in various sizes. They can be white, brown, gray or some color in between.

You do not have to treat the tree if there are galls, but they can limit the growth of new trees. Treat galls by killing the pests. You should also clean out from under the tree after the leaves fall off, because this is where the insects live during winter.

Other Tree Problems

Improper Trimming – There’s an art to tree pruning, as well as many types, and if you don’t know how to do it, you could damage the tree past the point of recovery. Consider the type of tree, season and other factors. Under-pruning (or a lack of pruning at all) is just as big of a problem. Only an experienced arborist should be trusted to prune trees in order to keep them healthy.

Lack of Water – New trees can be severely affected by drought. If you plant new trees on your property, you will need to supplement the amount of water they get from rainfall. A tree that is not getting enough water can have its growth inhibited. The first symptom you are likely to noticed is scorched, dry leaves. Find more tips for new trees here.

Too Much Sun – Do your initial planning before planting trees in a full-sun area of your property. Many types of trees can handle it without issue, but too much sun can become a problem for any tree if the sun is harsh for a long period of time and rainfall is light. A tree that is getting too much sun needs even more water to fight against wilting, drooping leaves.

Certified Arborist Services in Ohio

A trained arborist from OH Tree Trimming will be able to quickly identify what’s happening with your sick tree and put together a plan to rescue it if at all possible.

Here is what an arborist is qualified to do:

• Review trees from below and from the limbs of the tree if necessary. Getting into the canopy is often necessary to identify exactly what is leading to the symptoms.
• Treat your tree through additives and fertilizers in the soil or products applied to the leaves. The arborist will have knowledge about the disease impacting the tree and the most effective treatments.
• Trim tree limbs to get rid of dead or diseased branches and to assist healthy growth. Even if heavy pruning is necessary, they will know how to cut off branches so that the tree survives both the problem and the trimming.
• Remove the tree from your lawn if there is no chance to save it. The worst case scenario is that the tree is too far gone, and cutting it down is the best choice to protect your property and surrounding landscape.

Arborists can also educate you about the other trees that you have om your property and how to best care for them so you don’t find yourself in the same situation again.

Many tree problems look very similar to one another, requiring an expert eye to accurately diagnose and correct the problem. If your trees are looking dry, unhealthy or disfigured, call a professional arborist from OH Tree Trimming for an inspection before it’s too late for your tree.

When it comes to the question, “What time of year is best for tree trimming?” The answer is often vague.

Tree type will dictate when many species are able to be pruned, along with pest population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other plants and trees nearby.

With the guidance of a certified arborist in Ohio, you can determine which time of year is ideal for trimming your trees to set them up for success next season and every year after that.

Best Season to Trim Trees

Without any other information, OH Tree Trimming recommends pruning trees in the winter. This ranges from November to March in Ohio. This season is ideal because trees are typically dormant, so pruning will cause the least amount of damage, if any.

There are many benefits to trimming trees during the winter:

Less chance of pest damage and disease – Insects and plant diseases are mostly inactive during the winter. During the rest of the year, everything from insects to fungus can affect a freshly pruned tree because the tree will be the most susceptible and these issues are more common when there is warmer weather.

Easier to determine the shape of the tree when the leaves are gone – Leaves prevent your arborist from seeing the overall shape of your tree. When the branches are bare, it is a lot easier to identify dead or diseased branches and branches that are touching versus those that are just too close to each other.

Trees have time to heal before spring – By performing significant pruning in the winter, your trees will have several months to rebuild callus tissue on the ends of the remaining branch collar. By the spring, you’ll hardly be able to notice where the branches were cut off, and the tree will be able to focus its energy to produce new, healthier leaves, fruit or flowers instead of healing new cuts.

Less chance of harming nearby landscape – Most of the nearby trees and plants will also be dormant, so there is less risk of doing damage to them. Most of the time, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the spring and summer, but there are no plants to be disturbed in the winter months since these annuals already died out.

Do All Trees Need Trimming?

Yes, all trees benefit from trimming. Tree pruning every winter is good for trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your landscaping and your family and neighbors. Let us explain:

Pruning Makes the Tree Healthier

Dead and diseased branches are removed, as are stubs that are susceptible to pests and disease. Limbs that can rub against each other are also pruned so that they don’t weaken one another or create an open wound on the tree.

Trimming trees every winter is also a great way to get an expert’s opinion on the health of your trees so that early warning signs of decay, disease and pest infestations can be identified and handled as soon as possible.

A Well-Maintained Tree Serves Its Purpose Better

When a tree is overgrown, it starts to be hard for water and nutrients to reach every limb. This can leave the tree looking scraggly and sick and definitely not doing what it’s meant to do.

Pruned trees, on the other hand, produce more fruit, healthier leaves and better shade. They are much fuller and healthier and less likely to cause landscaping problems. So regardless of why you planted a new tree, pruning will improve the results you want from it.

Trees are More Beautiful After Pruning

If the view of your yard or landscaping is important to you, tree pruning is a necessity! Trimming trees creates an attractive, uniform size and shape. This is very important if you have several similar trees on your property.

Removing lower branches and upper branches that grow at awkward angles enhances the overall look of the tree while also strengthening tree health.

Less Chance of Falling Branches

Tree trimming – from a professional – encourages the remaining branches to grow healthier and stronger. Therefore, storms and high winds won’t damage your trees the way they would an unkempt tree. Your home and family will be much safer living under and around trimmed trees.

Another safety issue for large trees is that they block the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree trimming, crown raising and other professional tree care services will keep the tree at a good size and prevent it from blocking various views.

Call OH Tree Trimming for Tree Pruning

Working with a certified arborist in Ohio gives you access to their expert knowledge on tree pruning. We strongly recommend relying on their expertise if there are trees on your property that you’d like to keep healthy for a long time.

An arborist doesn’t only look at the current situation. Instead, he or she will take the time to research your trees and understand their unique scenario (including their location and factors that could put them at risk of disease or infestation). After gathering all of the information, an arborist will make a long-term plan based on the trees’ needs and stick to that course of action until the goals for your trees are achieved.

This plan might take many years to implement, but rest assured, it will result in healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for generations.

This type of ongoing maintenance will promote healthy tree growth, help your landscaping resist plant diseases and increase fruit or flower production from trees. It will also fortify your trees so there is not as much risk of falling trees or limbs.

Being proactive about tree trimming can save you a lot of money too. Preventative care is far more cost-effective than the cost of emergency tree services, storm damage restoration or curing a sick tree of a disease that has gotten out of hand (and one that was easily preventable).

If you care about the health of your trees and the beauty of your property, trust a certified arborist for tree pruning and maintenance from OH Tree Trimming. Find our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Ohio. Call now!

Tree pruning in Ohio is an important landscaping service that can beautify and reinforce your trees so they can withstand insects, diseases and inclement weather – and look breathtaking while doing it!

Pruning must be done if you want healthy trees, but it has to be done properly by someone who knows what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from OH Tree Trimming. You may be able to prune and trim trees safely while they are still small, but you also may do permanent damage to the tree in the process.

To safely prune trees, you should know all of the following:

• When to prune your types of trees
• How much of the tree should be pruned at a time
• Where to cut the branches so you do not harm the tree

Cutting too much from a tree could kill it or lead to structural damage, but conservative pruning done every year benefits trees in a lot of ways. Professional pruning improves the appearance of trees, makes them stronger, removes dead or diseased limbs and expedites fruit or flower production.

For the best results, pruning must be done once a year, but as trees mature, you might be able to go two years between pruning services. Regardless of how often you have your trees pruned, ensure your arborist is qualified to do the type of tree pruning your trees need. This won’t be an issue if you call OH Tree Trimming in Ohio!

Types of Tree Pruning Methods

There are 7 different ways to correctly prune a tree so that it grows healthier and stronger each year.

Depending on the shape, species and health status of your trees, one method may be more beneficial than another, but each technique has distinct benefits.

Crown Thinning Your Trees

Crown thinning is typical for larger, overgrown trees in Ohio. This process removes weak branches within the crown to allow more sunlight and air flow within the crown. Air flow is especially important for disease prevention.

This tree pruning method also gets rid of branches that are touching so they no longer rub up against each other and snap or create weakened areas that can be an entry point for insects and pests. Branches that grow at strange angles are usually cut off during crown thinning.

Crown Raising Your Trees

This trimming method removes branches and limbs at the lowest part of the crown so limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Allowing low branches to get too large makes them very difficult to cut off, and they can draw nutrients from the top of the tree, which leads to less fruit and a weaker tree.

There are many reasons you may choose to raise the crown of a tree. Many times, it is done in order to clear the line of sight for automobiles and pedestrians, but it can also be done to increase space for landscaping under the tree.

It is a common technique for overgrown trees that are too close to homes and other buildings.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction lowers the total size of the crown from its outer edge. It shortens branches vertically and horizontally to keep the tree at a manageable size. By lowering the crown size, you can eliminate the need to chop the tree down because it won’t come into contact with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.

Even if the tree isn’t close to structures like those listed above, crown reduction will make the tree look much better because it also eliminates irregular growth. This is a great idea for trees that are various ages but are supposed to look uniform.

Crown Cleaning

Also referred to as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive type of pruning method that removes dead, snapped or diseased limbs so that the remaining parts of the tree may grow normally. These branches can only create issues in the future.

Crown cleaning helps to make the tree look much better, and it stops branches from rubbing together. And it is a safety practice that lowers the risk of falling branches, because healthy branches do not fall very often.

Crown Restoration

Crown restoration is an intense pruning technique for trees that have been significantly damaged (either by pests or weather). It should be attempted by an experienced arborist who knows how the tree is likely to grow over time and roughly just how long it’s restoration will take.

Unlike most other tree trimming services, crown restoration occurs over a longer period of time with conservative pruning that reshapes the tree. Your arborist should have a definitive plan to restore the tree, but also be flexible as the tree grows and reshapes on its own, adapting to the tree’s new growth.

Vista Pruning

If you are looking for trees that help improve curb appeal, you are actually interested in vista pruning. The goal of vista pruning is to help to make the tree more visually pleasing from a particular vantage point.

It encompasses many pruning techniques including crown thinning, crown reduction and crown cleaning – any technique that helps the trees look more attractive. Remember, though, that an arborist is not going to sacrifice the health of a tree, so the primary focus of vista pruning is still to create strong, healthy trees.

Espalier Pruning

Espaliered trees are heavily pruned to grow flat against walls or a trellis. It is a unique style of pruning that is going to attract a lot of attention to your lawn. Espalier pruning should be started when the tree is young and then continued very consistently throughout the tree’s life span.

Some of the benefits of espalier pruning include allowing maximum sunlight to reach the trees, as well as making it exceptionally easier to harvest fruit.

Professional Tree Pruning in Ohio

Tree pruning can be dangerous for a tree, your lawn, and, of course, for you! OH Tree Trimming highly suggests professional tree trimming over DIY.

Besides the possible dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of harm to a tree if you don’t know how to prune it correctly. Excessive pruning is one of the most typical errors made by homeowners maintaining their own trees.

Trees in Ohio that get routine care from a professional are usually much better off, and hiring an experienced arborist from OH Tree Trimming to prune trees on your property is a choice you won’t regret. Locate your city in our service area. We work with arborists across the entire state of Ohio!

Planting trees on your land has many benefits. Trees create much-needed summer shade, filter contaminated air and increase property value.

Once full-grown, trees are easy to care for: another benefit! They are strong and tend to continue growing despite minimal care. However, if you want to ensure your trees achieve their full potential, they need more effort.

Lack of care for young trees might cause rotting, disease, under watering or pest problems.

Fortunately, caring for trees isn’t too complicated, but you will want some tips to do it correctly. Familiarize yourself with the new trees you plant in order to know exactly what they need to succeed. Then care for them and watch them flourish.

Below, we’ll list the five best practices for planting a new tree and seeing it thrive. You probably know the basics, so we’ll dive deeper and detail how to do each step.

Tree Care Tips for New Trees

These tips will not only help keep your trees alive, they’ll help them grow faster, stand up to extreme gusts of wind, fight off diseases and pests and create more leaves, buds or fruit.

Water Your Tree

New trees need more water than well-established ones. The trees you plant are no exception.

The root of the tree and the soil all around it need be kept moist, but don’t let it get too wet, as this can cause some of the roots to rot.

The popular recommendation is 4-10 gallons of water per week. This includes rain water, and although it’s hard to have an exact reading, a rain gauge can get you close enough to add the rest. Your trees will need this much water every week for the initial 2-3 growing seasons.

Mulch Around Your Trees

Mulch is much more than an attractive landscaping material. It helps protect new trees, especially the roots. But laying mulch incorrectly can sometimes lead to rotting and decay – so much so, that the tree will not survive.

Place mulch 3 inches away from the tree trunk and spread it out to cover the ground under the longest horizontal limb. For brand new trees, this isn’t going to be very far, but as the tree continues to grow, your mulch area will also grow substantially.

Keep the mulch at least 2 to 4 inches thick in all areas around the tree. Be attentive in spreading it out consistently and away from the tree trunk so it does not stop air flow around the trunk.

Fertilize Around Your Tree

Fertilizer provides several nutrients that your land’s soil may not naturally have. Most new trees can benefit from fertilizing, but you need to be using the correct products and doing it at the right time in order for fertilizer to be most beneficial.

The perfect season to fertilize is early spring. Sometimes early summer provides good conditions (mild temperatures and wet soil), but don’t count on it.

If you aren’t certain about which fertilizer to use, speak to a tree care specialist for recommendations. Slow-release fertilizers are often a good idea because they feed your trees over a period of time rather than all at once.

Follow through with these things in the initial growing seasons after planting a tree, and then reevaluate your watering, mulching and fertilizing needs as the tree grows larger. As seasons go on, there will be additional tree care tasks that are more important for your new trees.

Trim Your Tree

Tree pruning is very important – yet very tricky – in the early years after you plant a tree. As the tree grows, you will see many small branches take off, trying to become the tree’s trunk. While you may think this shows that the tree is healthy and that it is growing well, it can actually result in a very weak tree as time goes on.

Early pruning helps to shape the tree into what it will look like when it becomes much larger. As tiny limbs emerge on the lower trunk, they must be removed so they don’t suck water and nutrients away from the branches at the top of the tree.

As long as there are trees on your property, they need to be trimmed periodically. When the trees get too big for you to prune them safely, you can rely on OH Tree Trimming to do the job for you.

Monitor Your Tree

Young trees are at the highest risk for damage, disease and insect issues. But you’re never 100% safe from these things. As your tree gets larger, monitor it closely for signs of disease or bad nutrition, including the following:

• Leaf color change out of season, especially leaves turning brown or yellow
• Premature leaf drop, despite whether leaves appear healthy or diseased
• Withering, despite proper watering
• Single limbs or branches dying
• Bark peeling off

These signs indicate a health issue. It is likely going to need professional care if your plan is to keep the tree alive. An arborist can typically diagnose the issue by just looking at your tree, although they will perform testing if deemed necessary.

If you identify the problem quick enough, you will likely be able to save the tree from dying. Being proactive is the best way to protect younger trees.

The steps above are simple yet effective. Don’t underestimate the value of the basics! When new trees have proper care, combined with some sunshine and barring severe, damaging weather, the odds are probable that they will survive and look beautiful!

Of course, you might already have a very busy schedule and don’t want to be responsible for these additional tasks. In many cases, homeowners don’t have the physical ability to give their new trees the necessary care.

No matter the situation, it’s a good idea to hire a professional for the care of new trees. A certified arborist in Ohio can advise you about the course of maintenance for each tree species you plant. They love sharing their expertise and skills with people planting brand new trees, and can make the difference between trees that struggle and trees thriving.

Call OH Tree Trimming now for information on routine tree care in Ohio – including tree trimming – for newer trees and old trees. An arborists can determine the best plan for your trees! Locate your city in our service area here.