Arborists receive a lot of questions every day about things going on with their client’s landscapes at home. For more seasonal tree care tips, visit http://www.davey.com.
Jim Houston, Davey Tree Service expert and ISA certified arborist, takes a look at some of your most frequently asked tree questions and answers whether they are indeed fact or fiction.
Question #1: My tree just suddenly died.
Trees are always giving us signs that something is not right. We need to be monitoring and looking for those problems to prevent tree death.
Question #2: Is planting a tree too high a common mistake in the urban landscape?
When you do not see root flares, you’ve planted a tree too deep. Planting too deep is the most common mistake that we see in the urban landscape. It causes long-term problems as the tree develops later in life.
Question #3: Do I need to fertilize my trees?
If your backyard is a forest, a tree’s natural environment, then you do not need to fertilize. You have the organic leaf litter on the forest floor, a very rich, arid environment. A lot of oxygen and water can get to the root system. You have falling debris, falling trees, falling branches; all break down and put the nutrients back in the soil.
However, the urban landscape where our trees are planted is a much different environment. We add grass over the root system of the plants. It acts as a sponge. The water source comes down as rain and that turf just soaks up the moisture before the tree can get it.
Incorporating a slow release fertilizer on an annual basis is a proactive approach to maintain and keep your landscape investment healthy.
• Provides nutrients that we’ve removed
• Aerates the soil
• Provides resistance against secondary issues, such as disease and insects
Contact your local professionally trained arborist to schedule a regular tree inspection.
