As the winter season comes to a close, here are 5 late winter tree care tips to make sure your trees are in great shape and ready for the new growth season ahead.
- Supplement your irrigation. Winter brings in lower than typical rainfall. As trees exit their dormancy period, they begin to uptake much more water as they prepare for root, bud, and shoot development for the new year. Increasing your irrigation schedule will help give your plant-life much needed soil moisture right when they need it.
- Schedule last minute pruning. Winter is the ideal time for tree pruning. During their dormancy period and prior to the spring flush of new growth. If you’re ready for maintenance, now is the best time to call us at (813) 971-6217 to schedule an appointment.
- Mulch your landscape. Laying fresh mulch just before the spring throughout your garden will help your soil retain the moisture being added through supplemental irrigation, reducing overall water consumption and saving you money. Remember to rake out and remove old decomposing mulch as needed to avoid a large buildup of material around the base and root systems of your trees. 3-4″ of mulch is all you need and avoid mounding up mulch around the base of trees. A clear root flair at ground level should be visible.
- Schedule fertilization and/or growth regulators. As mentioned previously, spring is the time when your vegetation begins to “wake up” and prepare for the new year’s growth. Fertilizing your trees and plants helps to replace nutrients lost in the soil from the previous year and gives your landscape the environment it needs for ideal seasonal growth and resistance to pests and disease.
Mature trees with preexisting conditions may also benefit from the application of growth regulators. Regulators let us greatly slow down upper canopy growth, which diverts the tree’s energy towards root system development. Increasing root mass and developing a strong and healthy root system is key to any plant’s overall health and stability.
- Plant new trees! Now is a great time to add that Live Oak or Red Maple you’ve been wanting in your landscape. Planting now gives your new tree time to establish itself and settle in before it hits its seasonal growth period.
As always, we at Independent Tree Service, Inc. are here to help with any questions or services you may need. Give us a call at (813) 971-6217, fill out the contact form on our website, or send us an email at office@independenttreeservice.com to schedule a consultation.
