How to Care for Trees

trees in mulch
If you have used landscaping trees to improve the look of your property, you already know just how many benefits they can bring to a space. Depending on the kinds of trees used, you may gain shade, color, privacy, and even fruit. Of course, like any other living thing you plant on your property, trees are going to need care if they will be able to thrive well into the future. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting your trees because you think they can survive on their own – they need attention just like your flowers, shrubs, and other plants.

The Obvious Point

First and foremost, your trees need water. Okay – so that probably isn’t breaking news. However, it is still important to highlight this need for water, as it is essential to the long-term health of your trees. The trees may get enough water via rain during parts of the year, but it will be up to you to supply them with water during the dry and warm season. Of course, overwatering is a possibility and a concern, so try to strike a balance where the tree gets enough to stay healthy but no so much that it outgrows what the soil can provide.

Nurture New Trees

When you first put a tree into the ground on your property, you will almost certainly need to water it consistently to promote growth in its root structure. Unless the weather happens to be particularly wet, plan on watering the tree consistently for at least the first few months. The roots need to expand outside of the root ball before the tree can become established, and there will need to be plenty of water in the area for that to occur.

Test the Ground

Just by looking at the ground, it can be difficult to determine when you need to apply water. After all, the surface may be wet, but what is the ground is completely dry just a couple inches down? The best way to gauge your watering needs is to take something like a long screwdriver and push it into the soil. When you hit dry ground, you will find that it is much more difficult to push the screwdriver down. You are looking to have around six inches of moist ground around the tree, so you should think about watering if you find any less than that.

Consider a Soaker Hose

One of the problems you will face when trying to water your trees is making sure that the water you apply actually is soaked into the ground around the tree. If you apply the water quickly, such as by spraying the ground with a hose, much of the water will just run off in another direction. To get around this problem, you may want to use a soaker hose. This is a specialty kind of hose which will release water slowly around the base of your tree. Taking the ‘slow and steady’ approach to tree watering is the best way to ensure that you are able to soak the ground properly.