What Tree Care Do I Need During The Summer Months?
Trees Need Unique Care During Hot Summer Months
Many trees can survive harsh seasonal conditions, but as summers become hotter every few years, it’s important to inspect them and provide the care they need to continue growing strong. Trees are an investment, and letting them wither away is a wasted investment and can even cost more money. The hot temperatures make trees more sensitive to damage, require more supplemental water, and can thrive with professional care even during some of the hottest days. Continue reading below to learn more about Joseph Tree and what tree services we can offer to you!
Water Trees Deeply to Reduce Heat Stress
One of the most vital points of tree care during the summer months is being sure your trees are getting the right amount of water. Trees prefer a slow, deep watering so the water can sufficiently soak into the ground. A slow watering allows water to reach the entire root zone, maximizing how much water and nutrients can be soaked up. Homeowners handling their own tree care should pay close attention to how much they’re watering during the hot summer months. Lightly watering a tree frequently means the water won’t flow deeper into the soil. The extreme heat will pull the water out of the soil, even under mulch. Taking the trunk diameter into account will guide you on how much water to use. Generally speaking, an adult tree will take around 5 gallons of water for every inch of the diameter. Doing this once per week should be a good starting point. While hydration is important, there are better techniques to be certain your trees are getting the correct amount of water. It can be harmful to trees if the soil is holding on to too much water, so knowing when to water is important. Water trees deeply once a week to keep them happy and healthy all summer long.
Mulching Your Trees to Protect Them from The Heat
A simple and effective way to maximize tree health during the summer heat is to utilize mulch. Adding mulch around each tree won’t require as much water, and your trees will experience less heat stress. One of the most common amateur arborist mistakes we see is homeowners putting too much mulch, or placing it too near the trunk of the tree. A layer of mulch should only be a few inches deep, and ideally should stretch to the drip line of the tree, covering the ground underneath the tree canopy. There should be a small gap between the trunk of the tree and the mulch to prevent any rot from happening. It’s very important to never cover the root crown where the tree meets the soil. Roots extending off the trunk should be exposed to the air, and covering them can cause health problems. A tree care professional will place mulch with the intention of maximizing moisture retention and reducing stress in the summer heat. Mulch keeps the roots cooler, helps the soil retain moisture longer, and improves soil nutrient quality over time.
Seasonal Tree Inspections to Prepare for the Summer
Around summertime, trees are typically thriving after recovering from the winter. Trees tend to do a lot of growth around the end of spring and early summer when the weather is nicest. This is an ideal time for us to implement inspections, searching for signs of pests, disease, and mold, and tackle any maintenance that is overdue. We’ll check the leaves for any signs of weakness, lack of nutrients, and other types of damage. We’ll inspect the structural integrity of your trees to be certain they can withstand summer thunderstorms, and we will remove any limbs or branches that we deem dangerous. To keep your younger trees healthy throughout the summer, have a professional arborist inspect them and give an assessment of their care. Schedule an inspection with Joseph Tree so we can help give your tree a needed boost to make it through the next harsh season.
Summer Pruning and Tree Trimming
Typically, we avoid major pruning during the heat of summer to avoid traumatising the tree. When trees are facing peak summer temperatures, they may heal more slowly, leaving open cuts for disease and pets to enter. That doesn’t mean that pruning around summer is a bad idea. We do provide summer pruning, and focus our efforts on removing any structurally weak branches, dead limbs, and any damage we find that we suspect won’t heal well. Clean, precise pruning cuts by professional arborists heal faster, reducing the chance of additional complications. More major pruning projects typically occur leading up to and just after summer. These are great times to prune your trees and give them time to recover from dormant seasons. Contact Joseph Tree with questions about pruning and schedule an inspection with one of the arborists on our team.
Caring for Newly Planted Trees During The Summer
Newly planted and younger trees need unique care to stay healthy during the intense summer temperatures. When a tree hasn’t established a full and expansive root system, it relies on water and nutrients close by, limiting what it can utilize to stay strong against the heat. Larger and more established trees are more equipped to fend for themselves, reaching far and wide for water. Small trees will often require supplemental water, especially if they’re fully exposed to the sun the entire day. Your trees that are smaller may survive the summer, but if they don’t have enough energy to establish a full root system over the warm months, they may struggle to make it through winter. The younger the tree, the more care it will require to keep it safe from the heat. During summer heat waves, young trees will be happy for some shade, whether that be a cloth, canopy, or umbrella to block the harsh sun. Young trees will need supplemental watering to continue to grow stronger. Because trees get a lot of their nutrients from the soil, it’s important not to compact the ground around the trunk. When the soil is compacted around a tree, the roots will struggle to absorb nutrients and even water. While more established trees are more forgiving when it comes to mulching, young trees should have mulch covering the ground under their entire canopy. By adding mulch all of the way to the tree’s drip line, you are protecting the roots from heat and preventing moisture from easily evaporating.
Schedule Professional Tree Care Near Columbus Ohio
Joseph Tree is an award-winning and highly certified team of arborists who truly care about protecting the trees of our state. We have completed over 5,000 projects in the greater Columbus area and are proud to work with clients of all sizes. Contact us for stump grinding, tree trimming, tree removal, general plant care and maintenance, and more.