The roles that trees play in our lives are manifold. They provide us with shade and comfort, they are beautiful and pleasing to the eye, they provide a home for birds and helpful insects like bees, and they consume carbon to add oxygen to our atmosphere! If you are a homeowner and want to enjoy your garden to the fullest, then you definitely want to include some trees!
If you are lucky, your home’s surrounding property will already have some nice existing trees living there that you can enjoy. If your home was built on a bare patch of ground, no worries, you can start from scratch and enjoy the pleasure of hand picking your future arbour’s denizens! Trees both old and new greatly benefit from proper care and tree services in Sydney can help you to maintain their health so they can provide you with pleasure for years to come!
We would like to share some tips that will help you keep your trees safe, healthy, and looking their best!
Pest and Disease Control – Keeping pests and diseases away begins with proactive tree care and maintenance practices like a regular program of pruning. What might start out as a minor issue can escalate quickly into a major concern that could threaten the health and well-being of your trees as well as the rest of your property! The secret of effective pest and disease control is implementing long-term prevention.
Here are some natural techniques that can stop them from getting a foothold in your garden while avoiding the use of environmentally unfriendly pesticides on your trees!
- Grow pest-resistant tree species – Some tree species are naturally more resistant to pests and disease. Do some research if you are planting from scratch, and choose resilient species that can better stand up to possible threats.
- Plant trees in suitable places – Like any garden plant, different tree species have different preferences about their soil type, moisture levels, amount of sunlight, temperature, and more! Planting your trees in places that are suitable to their needs is a major step toward keeping them as disease and pest free as possible!
- Choose a diverse tree selection – Some tree varieties have vulnerabilities to certain pests and diseases, so having an assortment of different species means you will never suffer a catastrophic wipe out of all your trees of the same type. Keeping a variety also adds interest and biodiversity to your property.
- Practice sound tree care – Surround your tree’s trunks with a sturdy layer of organic mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture. Be sure to keep the base of your trees clean and remove any decaying leaf litter and detritus.
- Monitor your trees regularly – Making a frequent inspection of the health of your trees lets you detect pest populations early when they are easier to eradicate. Watch out for discolouration of the bark, pitch tubes on the trunk, and any other abnormal signs. Your goal is to identify and eliminate pests before they can establish a firm foothold.
Maintain Healthy Root Systems – Considering you can’t see much of them from the surface, it’s easy to overlook the root systems of your trees! Healthy roots are essential to the optimal health of your trees. The symptoms of root disease are often mistaken for mineral deficiencies because dead roots can’t participate in the uptake of water and minerals. The following are some symptoms of root disease to watch for:
- Chlorotic yellow foliage
- Slowed or reduced growth
- Dieback of branches
- Leaves at branch ends have tufts
- White coloured fungal growth beneath the bark
- Fungal growths around the base of the trunk
You can usually verify root disease with a careful examination of the tree. In order to prevent the occurrence of root disease you must maintain healthy and vigorous trees, which starts with soil that has access to ample oxygen and water. Planning enough space between your trees and other plants also helps minimize problems in the roots.
Tree Pruning and Trimming – Pruning and trimming are standard tree maintenance. The practise is good for the tree’s overall health, its aesthetic appearance, and the safety of its surrounds. Pruning to maintain a tree’s health uses techniques that involve the removal of damaged limbs in order to facilitate the closure of wounds like those suffered during a severe storm, and to help promote new growth.
If branches become infested by pests or infected by disease to the point they need to be removed, pruning and trimming can be used to prevent any further spread. The art of pruning for aesthetics is used for maintaining an attractive appearance, and upping your property’s curb appeal, while pruning for safety is the process of removing sickly or dead branches that might be at risk of falling and causing harm.
Your trees are lovely, living things, and appreciate being well taken care of. They will repay you by bringing beauty into your life!
