You’ve just moved into a new home, and there are trees on your property. You may have one or two, or you might have a backyard that’s a woodland. Still, these trees are now yours, and it’s your responsibility to care for them. Here’s how.
A Word About Saplings
Your land may already have some saplings, or you might want to plant your own. Here are some tips.
Firstly, pick the right tree. Choosing the right tree for your area can’t be stressed enough. You can do everything right concerning watering, mulching, fertilizing, and more. However, if your tree isn’t right for your area, it will have a hard time thriving.
You should also plant the tree the right way. Planting the tree doesn’t just mean putting it in the hole correctly. You need to put the tree in the right space on your property. Take into account how large your tree is going to grow, and remember that its root system might be as large around as its crown.
As for planting, remove burlap or wires from the root ball. The hole should be about twice to three times as wide as the root ball, but you shouldn’t plant it so deep that you bury the place where the trunk meets the roots. This is the trunk flare. Don’t worry about buying bags and bags of topsoil, but use the soil you dug up to fill in the hole.
If the tree is good for your area, you won’t need to fiddle with the soil by adding compost or other amendments. You should also make sure that the sapling is straight. If you’re worried about it leaning, strap it to a stake. Water the area deeply, and tamp it down with your hands, not your feet, to remove air pockets.
Planting a bare root sapling is a little different. You’ll need to soak the root overnight, then dig a hole that’s wider than it’s deep. Make a mound of soil, spread the roots over it, add the soil and water as you would above.
Taking Care of Older Trees
If you’ve bought a place that has older trees, you may think you might not have to do much. If your trees are decades old and healthy, you’re probably right. Still, it’s up to you to make sure the trees are well watered when there’s a drought, mulched and fertilized from time to time, and free of pests and diseases. This involves trimming and pruning branches. You might want to hire an arborist to do this, especially if the branches that need trimming and pruning are high up. You’ll also need an arborist on the day when a tree needs to be taken down. Do not attempt this yourself!
Caring for your trees is both a responsibility and a joy, whether you’ve just planted a two-foot-tall sapling or you’re mulching a tree that was providing shade years ago. If you live in San Carlos, CA or a surrounding area and need tree care services, make your first call to Maguire Tree Care.
