The first thing to know about taking care of trees in the summer is that summer care should ideally begin in the spring. This means adding mulch around the tree, pruning sick, dead, or crossing branches, and watering the tree deeply, especially if it’s a sapling. Deep watering keeps the tree from forming shallow roots and encourages the roots to go deeper. Mulch locks in water and keeps down weeds. If it’s organic mulch, it should be replenished as it breaks down. Pruning and trimming allows air to circulate through the tree branches and discourages pests and disease. Pruning and trimming should also be done as a matter of safety, as heavy, dead branches are more prone to break off, especially during storms.
What to Do When It’s Hot
Here are some other tasks to consider as part of summer care for your trees:
- Check for drought stress
- Irrigate at the drip line or beyond
- Fertilize
- Check for pests
A tree that’s experiencing drought stress usually has leaves that are curling, brown at the edges, or yellow. The drip line is right beneath the outer edge of the crown. It’s also called the critical root zone and is where feeder rootlets take in most of the water and nutrients. Because of this, the tree should be watered at the drip line or a little beyond it and not right around the trunk. In fact, watering around the trunk may cause the roots to rot.
Fertilization makes sure that the tree gets the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. It’s especially important if the tree is growing in a place that’s unusually stressful, such as a city or suburb. Ask our arborists at Complete Tree Service about how much and when to fertilize particular trees.
It’s always a good idea to check for pests during the summer. If the tree is strong and healthy, it can fend off most pests.
Wichita is subject to violent storms now and then, so you might want to think about protecting your older trees through bracing or cabling. Talk to our arborists about this task as well.
Call Complete Tree Service
Whether you love to hike along the Prairie Sunset Trail or spend time in the Museum of World Treasures, Wichita is a wonderful city in which to live and work. You value your trees, whether they’re a 200-year-old oak or the dogwood you put in the day before yesterday. Make sure they’re ready for the hot summer weather by getting in touch with our arborists at My Complete Property today.
