How to Prep Your Trees for Fall Time
After the sunny and leafy summer months comes the cold temperatures with dormant trees. The period between the end of summer and the beginning of fall is the best time for you to prepare for the winter months ahead.
With the proper preparation, your shrubs and trees can avoid facing issues like brittleness, branch breakage and sunscald that is frequent during the fall period.
Take a look at our best tips for prepping your trees for the fall:
Tips for Prepping Trees for Fall
Fertilize the trees as early as possible
During the summer, the heat of the sun is usually at an all-time high. The tree’s nourishment level is affected by the sun’s heat meaning that entering into the fall, the trees lack the necessary nutrients. As such, this makes fall the perfect time to ramp up the nutrients of the tree.
Fertilization during the fall period is particularly important for young and less established trees that can easily be damaged by storms. Make use of a slow releasing fertilizer along the drip line of the tree to help in adequately distributing nutrients to the root of the tree over the fall period.
Water the trees constantly
Even though trees enter a dormant state during the fall-winter period where all consumption, digestion, and growth activities are halted, they still need moisture to survive. The amount of water required by the tree to survive the upcoming cold months depends on varying factors such as the species and age. Like in the case of fertilization, make sure to water the tree along the drip line.
The drip line is the primary spot where nutrients and water are easily absorbed by the tree. It is essential that when watering the trees, the soil is not made soggy. The secret to a proper fall watering is to hydrate the tree at a point where all the leaves have been shed but before the ground is frozen.
Prune the dead branches
Before fall is in full swing and all the branches of the trees fall off, take a pruner to the branches of the tree. The easiest way to identify branches that need pruning is by looking out for dead wood (aka branches that failed to sprout leaves during the summer). Dead branches are also wood that easily snap away without much pressure applied to them.
Use cable for the weak trees
Tree cabling is a precautionary measure you can put in place to prevent young trees from being uprooted and to support weak branches as well. However, not just anybody can employ this method as it requires training.
A certified arborist or tree service would have undergone training to analyze the structure of a tree and identify the limbs that are weak. The goal of cabling is to transfer the weight of the branch from the weak ones to the strong ones.
Need more information on tree cabling and other ways to prep your trees for fall, contact us at Tree Removal Service Chattanooga.