Did you know you might be doing things that might be hurting your trees without even realizing it? Arborist services providers observe that many homeowners do a number of things that damage their trees. Some of these things include:
Loving the trees to death
When you plant your favorite tree, it’s common to feel attached to it and want to give it all the care it deserves. The first thing that people do is to stake and mulch the trees. Both of these practices are great when done properly and at the right time. Unfortunately, many homeowners do it at the wrong time which ends up damaging their trees.
Staking is great as it anchors the tree in heavy winds and protects the tree from mechanical damage. At the same time when you do it the wrong way, you lead to abnormal trunk growth, girdling, bark damage, and tree getting top-heavy.
Mulching is great as it protects the trees from a lot of heat exposure. Unfortunately, when you overdo it, you are bound to affect root and bark function. For you to be on the safe side, never apply too much mulch around the tree.
Mulch that is more than 3” deep can be problematic. You also should avoid mulching right next to the base of the tree trunk.
Girdling the tree
Homeowners install girdles when they are looking to protect them from mechanical yard tools. While the objective is great, many of these homeowners end up killing the tree. Instead of covering the tree’s trunk base with metal or plastic, you should consider applying good mulch that will keep the base of the tree weed and worry-free.
When you do this and apply some herbicides once a year, you will keep the base of the tree weed free and in perfect condition.
Allowing nutrient competition
You might be in love with more than one plant. For example, you will have an oak tree and some vines. Since you don’t want to get rid of them, you will force them to grow together. This is dangerous as it often leads to the death of the tree.
Many plants take advantage of their spreading habit where they take in as many nutrients and light as much as possible. The end result is the death of the tree.
If you want shrubs and vines in your yard, you can go ahead and plant, but ensure that they are as far away from your trees as much as possible.
Giving the tree an incompatible neighbor
Do you have trees of different heights in the same area? This might be a disaster in the making. During the planting season, many homeowners don’t know the height potentials of their plants. As a result of this, they end up planting two completely incompatible trees in the same area.
The trees that grow tall tend to dominate the shorter ones. As you might have guessed, the shorter ones can’t get enough light and nutrients. As a consequence, they end up dying.
Disrespecting the tree roots
The roots are the most vital organs of the tree; therefore, when you don’t handle them properly, the trees end up dying. Some of the most common mistakes that tree owners make to the roots include:
- Building over the roots
- Paving over the roots
- Excavating on and around the tree trunk
- Parking or storing equipment over the root zone
For your tree to be healthy and absorb as many nutrients and water as much as possible, you need to ensure that the root system is in top condition. Tree services MD professionals recommend that you keep the roots fully covered all the time.
