5 Edmonton Summer Tree Care Tips to Make Your Landscape Lush
Anyone who lives in Edmonton knows how precious those green, summer months are. When the ice begins to melt away and those hefty winter jackets go back into storage, you can find Edmonton’s residents on the city streets, soaking in the summer sun. Though Edmonton’s abundance of winter festivals helps break up the cold with fun activities, nothing beats the thaw after months of frigid temperatures. So, when summer peaks its head around the corner and you’re looking for summer tree care tips, you want to be sure your yard is taken care of, so you can enjoy the heat while it lasts.
When you want to keep those summer trees in tip-top shape, you can trust your local. Edmonton qualified arborists with all your tree trimming needs! We have 25 years of experience which means we’re experts in our field. With that in mind, check out our 5 summer tree care tips below, for advice from your local tree care experts on how to make those trees sing!
Essential Edmonton Summer Tree Care Tips
1. Pruning
After a long winter, you may find your trees have suffered for it. Maybe your tree has diseased or dead branches. Or maybe after many months of hibernating, they need to stretch out those tired limbs and are encroaching upon your neighbour’s yard. Pruning will help keep your trees healthy and promote tree growth and structure. Maintaining the structure of the tree will also help with stray and broken branches.
But, how exactly do you go about tree pruning if you’ve never done it before? We’ve put together some Edmonton summer tree care tips for pruning to help you through the process:
Step 1: Gather tools
To get started, you’ll need pruning sheers and a pruning saw, for bigger branches.
Step 2: Make the first cut
For the first cut, you want to cut from the underside of the branch in an upward direction. Cut about 18 inches from the base of the branch you are cutting. Cut the branch about halfway.
Step 3: Make the second cut
Once you’ve made the first cut, it’s time to cut from the topside of the branch. It’s best to cut down on the branch about an inch away from the first cut.
Step 4: Cut the tree collar
The final step in the process is to cut the tree collar. This is where the base of the branch meets the trunk of the tree. You don’t want to make your cut so close to the collar that it’s flush with the trunk, but you also don’t want to leave a stub. Start at the tree’s baseline and make a 45-degree cut. This angle will prevent water damage.
2. Mulching
When those snows begin to melt and spring is upon Edmontonians, it’s hard to know where to start to get your trees and yards going again. One of the first Edmonton summer tree care tips to consider when planting new trees or maintaining the old ones is to add mulch at its base. Mulch helps lower competition with grass. The reason you don’t want grass to encroach upon your tree is that it steals the nutrients and water that the tree needs to thrive and for proper root development. Mulch also cools the soil, which will help with root growth.
But if you’ve never mulched your plants before, it can be difficult to know how to go about it. The good news it’s a relatively simple process. Just take your bag of mulch and spread it around the base of the tree about 3 to 4 inches deep. You’ll then want to create a donut-shaped hole by pulling the mulch outwards from the tree. Do not pile the mulch against the tree trunk in a volcano shape. This will create excess moisture and could lead to wood rot and insect invasion. The outer edges of the mulch should be at the drip line of the branches. And voila! These Edmonton summer tree care tips make your tree a happy camper.
3. Monitor Pests
Though insects are an indispensable part of our ecosystem, maintaining the health of the soil, nutrient recycling, and pollinating flowers and other plants, some insects such as aphids, mealybugs, and beetles can also wreak havoc on your trees. That’s why it’s so important to monitor their movements for signs of disease. Some of these signs include yellow leaves, abnormal growths, and leaf spotting. Monitoring pests is one of your most essential summer tree care tips.
But what do you do when those pesky insects have already set up camp and you’re looking for some summer tree care tips? Well, how you want to deal with them depends on the type of insect you’re dealing with. Some insects can fended off with horticultural oil. This is the best course of action and it’s entirely eco-friendly. For other insects, you may need to use pesticides.
4. Water Regularly
It’s probably not news to you that watering your trees regularly is important for their growth, but many people forget about the importance of regular watering. These Edmonton summer tree care tips will help your trees thrive:
From May until October, you’ll want to water your trees about once a week. Use a slow steady stream for watering or a watering bag works well for younger trees. When you water these sturdy plants slowly, it helps the root to retain the moisture without too much water loss from soil runoff. The best times of day to water are in the morning or at night. At these hours, the water will not evaporate as easily.
For younger trees, ensure you give them a deep watering once a week for the first year or two of their lives. Deep watering means that the soil is soaked about 8 inches deep. Young trees don’t have a big enough root system yet to provide moisture.
For mature trees, it’s best to water the tree at the base of branches’ drip lines. These are where their roots thrive! Follow these Edmonton summer tree care tips and your summer will be unforgettable.
5. Fertilise
Fertilisation is an optimal summer tree care tip only if your soil is deficient. For those trees that need it, fertilisation will help with resistance to infestation and disease and will make them more robust and vibrant. Some signs that your plants would benefit from fertilisation are small, pale-green leaves, and trees that are deteriorating exhibiting dead branch tips, for example. These are signs of insect infestation or diseases.
Do not fertilise your plants if they are new (within the first two years) or if their roots have been upended or destroyed. The roots will need to resettle and reestablish themselves before fertilise can benefit them.
Looking For More Edmonton Summer Tree Care Tips? Hire a Professional Arborist Today!
Edmonton summer tree care is imperative to ensure your trees stay in tip-top condition and promote growth and health all summer long. Whether you’re planting new trees to elevate your landscape to a lush outdoor haven or you want to ensure your mature trees stay around for many years, these summer tree care tips will help you tend to them. However, sometimes you need a little extra help with your yard and there’s no shame in that! Our qualified arborists are experts in tree maintenance, proper tree care, and many other professional tree care services.
We’re proud to be a locally owned and operated business serving the communities of Edmonton in all tree services, such as tree pruning, tree removal,deep root fertilising, storm damage, and more! We’re committed to creating long-term relationships with our clients. That way we’re well-versed on the intricacies of your property and can best serve all your tree care needs.
Choose Trusty Tree Services for Edmonton Summer Tree Care and More Summer Tree Care Tips Today!
Now that you’ve got some summer tree care tips under your belt, we’re more than happy to step in and help assist in whatever tree care needs you have. Whether your trees are diseased or newly planted, trust our expert and certified arborists to handle all your Edmonton summer tree care needs today! As we all know in Alberta, those summer months are fleeting. We’ll help you make the most of them. Our expansive skill set and experience in tree maintenance for urban environments make us the summer tree care company that can’t be beat! With complete customer satisfaction and affordable prices, we sit one notch above our competitors.
Need some more convincing? No problem! Just check out these local, 5-star reviews to hear from your community of homeowners and fellow neighbours on our Edmonton summer tree care services, maintenance, and upkeep.
Contact us today to book an appointment for more Edmonton summer tree care tips and all your other Edmonton summer tree care needs. Let us help you make your summer days ones to remember!