Your trees are somewhat like your children – you have to constantly pay attention, but you cannot let them know that you are paying attention. The truth is that trees in the wild grow tall and strong without any human interference, so why shouldn’t a tree grow in your yard the same way? There are many different ways to answer that question and there are reasons why your trees will need more support than a regular tree in a forest.
Still, too often we see people who are over loving their trees – they are doing too much and taking care of them too well. The results? The tree doesn’t really like it at all. They rebel (like your children might do as well), they don’t flourish as well as they should, and sometimes they even die.
This is difficult – as all parenting is – so how can you know that you are being a hover parent to your tree? Here are some key signs:
4. You Gave Your Tree Too Much Water
- Happens frequently during rainy seasons
- Can be the results of an irrigation system
- You may need some professional intervention
When your child is playing a sport or goes for a run, what is the first thing you do? You hand him or her a water bottle and insist that they drink up so that they don’t get dehydrated. Sometimes, we give too much water and they get sick. The same thing can happen to your trees – you can give your trees too much water and they can get sick.
If this is the case for your yard, according to Home Guides, you can expect to see the following symptoms: “a loss of vigor, yellowing leaves, leaf scorch and water-soaked blisters on the stems and leaves. Dig down several inches into the tree’s root zone, in the area between the trunk and the edge of the tree’s canopy. The tree’s root zone typically extends out anywhere from 1.5 to 4 times the width of the canopy. Very moist soil at that depth suggests too much water. A sour smell indicates that the soil is oxygen-deprived. Also, any signs of mushrooms or algae around tree’s root zone can indicate a water-logged tree.”
If you see any of these signs, you need to scale back on the watering. This might mean not using an automated system or simply watering less until you can see what the appropriate amount of water really is.
3. You Aren’t Paying Attention to pH
- Make sure your soil gets tested professionally
- Work to balance out soil
- Remember to get it tested regularly
Getting a check-up is one of the most basic requirements of raising a child. You ensure that your children have testing done to ensure that they are growing properly. You need to do the same thing with your trees. Take your soil to get professionally tested so that you know what is going on with your tree. There are certain elements that need to be in the ground so that your tree grows.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the pH level of your soil around your trees is one of the most important indicators of your tree’s health – you want the pH to be about 6.5. It can be a bit lower or higher, but this is the number that you want to aim for when it comes to your tree.
2. You Took Pruning Into Your Own Hands
- Causes lifelong damage
- Hurts the chance of fruit and/or flowers in the spring
- You must use best practices
We all have the memory of having a haircut from our mom – and most of us have that elementary school picture where our bangs are crooked, or she took it way too short. The same thing can happen with your trees – without proper techniques or the proper tools, your trees will end up looking even worse than your third-grade picture. Trees that are crooked can tip over, especially in the winter. If you aren’t using the best techniques, the tree will continue to grow wrong for the rest of its life or it will just be off for a long time.
Remember that every cut you make is a wound, and, according to Tree Care Tips, you have to be careful about cutting more than 25% of your tree at a time. However, that tip is aimed at professional. You shouldn’t prune your tree at all unless it is one small branch. It just isn’t worth it to take things into your own hands – while a bad haircut will go away in a few months, it can take years to fix this problem.
1. You Were Too Tough on Pests
- Never use insecticides
- Some “pests” aren’t obvious
- Sit back and see what happens for a while
According to ThoughtCo, “Insects that attack trees come in many sizes and shapes. The beetles consume leaf parts and inner bark; the aphids, leafminers, and moths defoliate; the borers consume wood; the gall-making wasps deform limbs and leaves. Not all insects will kill a tree, but the “killers” listed can be certain death when insect populations explode.”
However, what you don’t want to do is take action too quickly, as this can result in using methods that aren’t productive and can actually do more damage to your trees. The best things to do are either to sit and watch to see how your trees are impacted by the pests or to talk to a professional.
If you are looking for a tree care professional in Redwood City, give Econo Tree Service a call today at (650) 200-2495. We will help you to better understand your trees and how to handle any watering, planting, pruning, or other tree issues that you may find – of course, we can also help you with other issues as well. We will provide you with the best possible tree service.
Header photo courtesy of Ellie Nakazawa on Flickr!