HOW TO KEEP YOUR BEAUTIFUL OLD TREESProtect the bark. Prevent power tools, such as lawn mowers and string trimmers, from hitting the tree and damaging its bark. It's rare for a tree to get sick. If you're wondering how to save a dying tree, you're one of the unfortunate ones, but it's not a random roll of dice.
One of the best and easiest ways to ensure that your trees stay healthy is to remove any sick or dead branches that are present. This will not only help reduce the tension and stress that the branches put on the tree, but will also help to eliminate or reduce the risk of tooth decay or additional diseases. Roots are the way trees get nutrients and water from the soil. Damaged and stressed roots limit the amount of water and nutrients the tree can absorb.
To avoid this, watch where you dig when gardening, doing new construction, or anything else that requires digging or moving heavy equipment around trees. If you have an old tree in your garden and don't know what to do with it, have it checked by tree surgeons. Pruning a large tree is one of the most dangerous tasks you can perform in your garden, as many people suffer serious injuries every year. Make sure you don't put too much mulch against the bark of the tree, as this will keep moisture against the tree.
Check leaves and branches for insects or signs of insect activity, dead twigs, fungus growing on or around the base of the tree, and strange leaf spots. For example, trees are best placed away from power lines, but if your landscaping calls for a tree near wires, plant other small ones such as dogwood or redbud. If you're not sure of anything other than valuing your trees too much to lose them, definitely consult a local arborist. I'll help you identify the problem and provide you with some practical steps you can take to restore your tree to full health.
Once you prune a diseased tree, be sure to sterilize the equipment before working on another tree or plant or you run the risk of introducing the disease into more trees. Use the right techniques, such as crown reduction, and hire a certified and insured arborist to prune your trees. When you think your tree is going to die and you're seeing some kind of disease but aren't sure about it, call the tree experts at Alpine Tree Surgeons. Few things on your property will give you as much beauty and pleasure for as little work as its mature trees.
If you're trying to determine how your tree is doing, and it's late fall or winter, you should wait until spring to make a decision or hire an arborist to visit and do some tests. They can also be damaged by the application of herbicides on the lawn and garden, another good reason to place that large circle of mulch so as not to pour chemicals on at least a part of the roots of the tree. You may notice that some branches are completely healthy and full of leaves, while others are sparse, or that the whole tree has fewer leaves than others of the same species at the same time.
