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Growing shade trees on your landscaping has many amazing benefits. Underneath a large shade tree is the best place for a backyard barbeque or for children to spend time outdoors. A shade tree will also keep your home cooler when temperatures rise.

To get the full benefit of shade trees, you have to plant the correct species and care for them properly.

VT Tree Trimming has recommendations for the best trees to plant for shade, as well as some expert advice on taking care of your shade trees so they grow healthy and strong.

Planting Trees for Shade

Any tree can technically provide shade, but there are some species that are built for maximum shade. These types of trees often have a thick, wider canopy that reaches out about as far as it does upward.

In the following paragraphs, we’ve provided some examples of shade trees depending on whether they would be best planted in your front or back yard.

Back Yard Shade Trees

Shade trees in the back yard are primarily for the homeowner’s benefit. Neighbors and passersby probably won’t see these trees very much, so they can be planted purely for shade and enjoyment.

In addition to shade, these trees can create year-round color as well as some extra privacy from neighbors.

Here are popular options:

• Magnolia
• Sugar maple or silver maple
• Weeping willow
• Weeping cherry
• Red oak

If you have the space, a live oak is a great choice. Live oaks are considered the fastest growing shade trees, and are able to get very big. An older live oak is able to grow up to 80 feet tall and up to 100 feet wide.

Most of these back yard shade tree suggestions get very big, so you need to do a little research to find out if the tree will have enough space to grow to its full potential.

If there is not enough space, the tree’s root system can damage your fencing or home foundation. You will also have to prune the tree every year to keep it manageable. A tree that is too big for its area will probably have to be cut down, which is an inconvenient and sometimes costly situation.

Front Yard Shade Trees

In the front yard, you are planting trees for your enjoyment as well, but these trees will be much more beneficial for increasing curb appeal and value to your home since they can be seen.

Choose shade trees for the front yard that are a little smaller so they don’t overpower your home. These trees should complement your landscaping in both size and color, while still offering lots of shade for front yard relaxation and play.

These are some of the shade trees VT Tree Trimming recommends:

Red maple
River birch
Dogwood
White oak
Ginkgo tree

These types of trees are colorful throughout the year, and they’ll display even more color during the fall.
Another great choice for your front or side yard is the ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae. This hedge-like tree can be planted in a long row to create privacy and shade.

With options in mind, we recommend that you plant what you like. In all honesty, any type of tree can be a “shade tree.” Assuming the trees you choose are suitable for the climate in Vermont, they will provide your yard and home with some shade.

Benefits of Planting Shade Trees

The benefits of having shade on your property are numerous — and there are a few that you likely wouldn’t typically think about.

Shade, Obviously – When temperatures soar, you don’t have to run indoors if you have a comfortable, shady yard. Set up a chair or hammock under your biggest shade tree and enjoy time outside as long as you want.

Climate Control – Trees can help control the temperature in your yard and inside your house. Not only will trees protect you from hot sun, but they can make it feel 10-15 degrees cooler under their protective canopies. This translates to less solar radiation on your home as well, which might result in lower energy costs!

Better Air Quality – Trees produce oxygen and remove pollutants from the air, so there is cleaner air surrounding your home. Arbor Day Foundation research reports that one mature tree absorbs around 48 pounds of CO2 from the air.

Safety for Animals – If you’re into bird watching or think chipmunks are cute, your trees can provide them all they need to build a shelter, find nearby food and raise babies.

Fun – What child doesn’t want a backyard tree house or tire swing? If you have small children, shade trees will offer hours of fun and countless memories.

How to Care for Shade Trees

Caring for shade trees is simple as long as you’ve chosen the type of trees for the climate in Vermont. Trees are strong and durable after a couple of years, needing little attention or maintenance.

Consult an arborist from VT Tree Trimming if you have any questions about the care of your trees, or to help you select the best tree for your yard.

After you have determined the perfect shade tree(s), follow this simple care guide until your shade tree is fully grown.

Planting Your Shade Tree

The south, west and east of your property always get the most sun, so plant your trees on one of these sides of your yard. This is two-fold: 1) the trees will provide the maximum amount of shade and 2) they will also receive the maximum amount of sun for healthy growth.

Trimming Your Shade Tree

Trim during the first year or two after planting the tree to help to shape it and help it form a strong structure. To be safe, and for the best results, call VT Tree Trimming for tree trimming in Vermont. A certified arborist will arrive at your home and deliver professional care for the tree.

Watering Your Shade Tree

Watering a new tree is crucial. This will help them develop a deep root system and will give the tree more stability in the long run.

Fertilizing Your Shade Tree

Fertilize a shade tree the same way you would any other type of tree in order to promote healthy growth. Fertilizer is not necessary for caring for a shade tree, but it can help your tree to grow faster and blossom more leaves, which are the source of your shade.

We hope this information was helpful! Remember, when it comes time to prune or trim a new shade tree, VT Tree Trimming can help! Call and a certified arborist in Vermont will visit your home, examine the tree and determine the best care plan for its long-term growth and health.

Tree trimming is best left to the pros. It’s a dangerous job, climbing high up trees, wielding chainsaws and lowering heavy branches to the ground; and it can be dangerous for the tree too. Trees that aren’t pruned properly can sustain a lifetime of issues.

Instead of putting yourself in harm’s way and the tree at risk, call someone who is trained and experienced to do the job for you.

This will lead to stronger trees and a safer environment surrounding your home for many reasons:

• Healthy trees are sturdier and not as likely to cause damage during severe storms
• Maintained trees don’t attract or spread diseases and parasites
• Pruned trees grow more flowers or fruit
• Pruned trees provide shade and allow air to flow throughout their canopies and your landscaping

VT Tree Trimming highly recommends trimming trees that are very close to your home or any that are a focus of your landscape.

Is Tree Trimming Necessary?

It is not necessary. But it is beneficial. Trees are resilient and can grow on their own everywhere in the world, in many different climates and locations, without pruning.

However, there are several benefits of professional tree pruning, so it’s recommended for trees that you value. This includes sentimental trees, fruit trees and blossoming trees or trees that perform an important job for your house, such as shade or home to wildlife.

Tree Trimming Gone Wrong

Pruning a tree is a complicated project. You need the correct tools and a lot of knowledge to guarantee the job is done right. The majority of homeowners don’t have any of these!

But that’s not a problem, because there are many arborists out there who know exactly how to properly trim trees for an affordable price to you including all of the certified arborists throughout Vermont we partner with!

Below are the 5 most common mistakes people make when attempting DIY tree trimming that can lead to several tree problems. These are things that a professional arborist from VT Tree Trimming will know, and that’s the reason why their services are worth the price!

Trimming Too Much

When done properly, tree pruning is a never-ending process. Starting when your trees are only 2 or 3 years old, they should be trimmed by a professional if you value them and intend to keep them healthy.

A big mistake that homeowners often make when trimming trees themselves is cutting too much of the tree at a time. This happens because they have let the tree’s growth get out of hand and try to fix it all immediately. Ideally, you should not cut off more than 5-20% of the tree’s crown at the actual removal cut. It is a lot easier to do this during a time of year that the leaves are off, but an experienced arborist will be able to safely prune trees any time of year.

Cutting at the Wrong Place

An experienced tree specialist knows where to cut each limb to protect against damage. This cut should occur just beyond the branch collar, the exact place where the branch connects to the trunk.

Trimming too close to the branch collar exposes the tree to pests and decay. Cutting too far from it leaves an unsightly stump when the tree has recovered. Most DIY tree pruning results in an improper cut, leaving either aesthetic or structural problems.

Trimming Large Branches

Branches any larger than 4 inches in diameter shouldn’t be trimmed unless it is absolutely necessary. Cutting off a branch this large can cause imbalance in the tree and expose it to pests and rodents and rot as the tree recovers from such a large loss.

Conservative trimming annually guarantees that the tree service company only has to remove branches that are 2-3 inches in diameter, which produces a more attractive shape for the tree and less risk of damaging the tree or exposing it to decay and pests.

Topping the Tree

Tree topping is an outdated type of pruning, and for good reason! In this service, tree trimming companies would just cut the top off of the tree to achieve the desired height. It was not attractive nor was it beneficial for the tree, so the vast majority of arborists do not practice tree topping anymore.

As a DIY tree pruning, you may think this is a good way to reduce the height of your tree with only one cut, but once you have cut the top of a tree off, there’s virtually no chance that it will ever regain a natural shape.

The Solution? Call VT Tree Trimming

Here’s the truth. Your tree may never recover from poor trimming.

Performing this project yourself might seem like a good way to save money, but you might end up with way more cost trying to revive damaged trees, so it’s much safer (and more economical in the long run) to hire a certified arborist in Vermont from VT Tree Trimming.

Limbs aren’t going to grow back. The tree will grow more, but it will not grow back in the same places, which leads to odd shapes that could take years to correct. The tree might look bad for the remainder of its life, all because of a single trimming error.

Bad trimming could also cause death of the tree. Cutting off too many branches (and, therefore, leaves) can alter the tree’s photosynthesis process, meaning it won’t get enough water or enough carbon dioxide and sunlight to continue growing.

Cutting off too many branches might also send the tree into a state of shock. Shock isn’t necessarily permanent, but it does take a great deal of patience and care. Even with the right maintenance, a tree experiencing shock may still die.

Avoid all of these tree trimming mistakes and call VT Tree Trimming to speak with a tree care specialist in Vermont able to customize a long-term plan to ensure your tree continues to blossom and look beautiful for years to come!

Trees are living organisms, so that means that they can become “sick” just like people and animals. A disease or other tree problem might take a while to show up due to the overall size of the tree, and once you identify a symptom, it could be too late to restore the tree.

A certified arborist from VT Tree Trimming can identify and treat common tree issues so that there is a much greater chance of saving the tree. Learn about our service here. Not only can an arborist help to stop a tree from dying, but they can also help trees get healthier growth and bloom more flowers or fruit.

Have you ever noticed a tree on your property that has always seemed OK but all of the sudden looks like something is wrong? In the next paragraphs, we’ll describe some of the most typical tree problems and what these symptoms mean.

If you see any of these things on any of your trees, act fast to have the best chance of saving the tree and the ones nearby it.

Tree Diseases & Common Problems

These 7 things are the most common problems addressed by experienced arborists in Vermont. The moment you think one of these things is wrong with your tree, contact someone with the training and equipment to help!

Tree Diseases

Leaf Rust – Leaf rust is actually a fungus that is very common in both trees and plants. The name comes from the brown and yellow spots this disease produces on the leaves.

Leaf rust is a problem because it interferes with the leaves’ photosynthesis, the process by which it breathes. Leaf rust can be tended to with fungicides and selective tree pruning of the affected leaves. It might be recommended to cut off entire branches with leaf rust.

Witches’ Broom – This disease results in a large mass of twigs, dead leaves and branches that resemble a broom shape. It is caused by insects, unusually rainy weather or fungus. The construction of a clump of leaves and twigs is the tree’s reaction to infection or harm.

Some cases of Witches’ Broom are deadly for the tree, others are simply considered a growth malformation. An arborist can diagnose the issue.

Mildew – Mildew is a fungus that grows on almost anything in wet conditions, but even after the wet conditions are gone, mildew can continue to thrive. It appears as a powdery texture, usually white, and it often appears on the leaves of a tree first.

The trick to eliminating mildew is to apply a fungicide that includes sulfur. This will eliminate the current mildew and stop future mildew on the tree. You may also need to prune the tree to remove branches, fruit, flowers and leaves that have been affected by the mildew

Gall – Gall is a type of tree disease that appears when insects build small nests on the leaves or branches of a tree to leave their eggs in. Most galls are not harmful to the tree, but they are not attractive.

Gall appears as as bumps on the tree, in varying sizes. They can be white, brown, gray or some shade in between.

You do not have to treat the tree if there are galls, but they can limit the growth of recently planted trees. Treat galls by killing the insects. You should also clean out from under the tree when the leaves fall off, since this is where the pests live during winter months.

Other Tree Problems

Incorrect Pruning – There’s a discipline to tree pruning, as well as many types, and if you don’t know how to do it, you could damage the tree beyond recovery. Consider the type of tree, season and other factors. Under-pruning (or not pruning at all) is just as big of an issue. Only a certified arborist should be trusted to trim trees to keep them healthy.

Lack of Water – New trees can be significantly impacted by drought. If you plant new trees, you will need to supplement how much water they get from rainfall. A tree that is not getting enough water can have its growth stunted. The first symptom you are likely to see is scorched, dry leaves. Find more tips for new trees here.

Too Much Sun – Do your initial planning before planting trees in a full-sun area. Most species of trees can handle it just fine, but too much sun can become a problem for any tree if the sun is too hot for a long period and rainfall is light. A tree that is getting excessive sun needs extra water to prevent wilting, drooping leaves.

Certified Arborist Services in Vermont

A trained arborist from VT Tree Trimming will be able to quickly identify what’s happening with your sick tree and put together a plan to save it if at all possible.

Here are the things an arborist is trained to do:

• Evaluate trees from below and from the limbs of the tree if necessary. Getting into the canopy is typically necessary to see exactly what is leading to the symptoms.
• Treat your tree with additives and fertilizers in the soil or solutions sprayed on the leaves. The arborist will have expert knowledge about the disease affecting your tree and the most effective treatments for it.
• Prune tree limbs to eliminate dead or damaged branches and to encourage healthy growth. Even if heavy trimming is needed, they will know how to remove branches so that the tree survives both the issue and the trimming.
• Remove the tree from your yard if there is no chance to save it. The worst case is that the tree is dying, and removing it is the best choice to protect your home and surrounding landscape.

Arborists can also inform you about the other trees that you have and how to best care for them so you don’t find yourself in the same situation again.

Some tree problems look very similar to each other, requiring an expert opinion to correctly diagnose and treat the issue. If your trees are looking dry, disfigured or dying, call a certified arborist from VT Tree Trimming for an inspection before it’s too late for your tree.

When it comes to the question, “What time of year is best for tree trimming?” The answer is typically indirect.

Tree type usually dictates when many species can be pruned, along with insect population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other species of plants and trees in the landscape.

With the assistance of a certified arborist in Vermont, you can determine what time of year is optimal for trimming your trees to set them up for success next season and beyond.

Best Season to Trim Trees

Without any other information, VT Tree Trimming recommends tree trimming during the winter. This would be sometime from November to March in most areas. Winter is ideal because trees are typically dormant, so trimming will lead to the least amount of damage, if any.

There are several benefits to trimming trees in the winter:

Lower risk of pest damage and disease – Insects and plant diseases are largely inactive during the winter in Vermont. Throughout the remainder of the year, anything from insects to fungus can harm a freshly trimmed tree because the tree is most susceptible and these issues are more common when there is warmer weather.

Easier to see the shape of the tree when there are no leaves – Leaves stop your arborist from seeing the complete shape of your tree. When the branches are bare, it is much easier to see dead or diseased branches and branches that are touching versus those that are just close together.

Trees have time to heal before spring – By doing this major tree trimming in the winter, your trees will have many months to rebuild callus tissue on the ends of the remaining branch collar. By the spring season, you’ll hardly be able to notice where the branches were cut off, and the tree will be able to devote its energy to produce brand new, healthier leaves, fruit or flowers instead of healing new cuts.

Less chance of damaging nearby landscaping – Most of the nearby trees and plants will also be dormant, so there is a lower risk of damaging them. Many times, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the warmer months, but there are no plants to be disturbed during the winter since these annuals already died out.

Do All Trees Need Pruning?

Yes, all trees benefit from pruning. Tree pruning in the winter is good for the trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your landscaping and your family and neighbors. Let us explain:

Trimming Makes the Tree Healthier

Dying and diseased limbs are cut off, as are branch stubs that are prone to pests and disease. Limbs that can rub against each other are also pruned so that they don’t weaken each other or create an open wound on the tree.

Pruning trees each year is a great way to get an expert’s opinion on the health of your trees so that early signs of decay, disease and insect problems can be spotted and handled immediately.

A Well-Maintained Tree Serves Its Purpose Better

When a tree is overgrown, it starts to be hard for water and nutrients to get to every limb. This can leave the tree looking weak and sick and definitely not doing what it’s intended to do.

Trimmed trees, on the other hand, produce more fruit, healthier leaves and offer better shade. They are much fuller and healthier and less likely to create landscaping problems. So regardless of why you decided to plant a new tree, routine trimming each winter will maximize the results you want from it.

Trees are More Beautiful After Trimming

If the curb appeal of your landscaping is important to you, tree pruning is important! Trimming trees gives them an attractive, uniform size and shape. This is very important if you have many similar trees on your property.

Removing lower branches and upper branches that grow at awkward angles enhances the overall beauty of the tree while also strengthening tree health.

Less Risk of Dropping Branches

Tree trimming – from an arborist – encourages the remaining branches to grow healthier and stronger. Therefore, storms and high winds won’t damage your trees the way they would an unkempt tree. Your home and family will be much safer living under and around trimmed trees.

Another safety issue for large trees is that they block the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree trimming, crown raising and other professional tree care services will keep the tree at a manageable size and prevent it from blocking various views.

Call VT Tree Trimming for Tree Trimming

Hiring a professional arborist in Vermont gives you access to their expert knowledge on tree pruning. We strongly recommend relying on their years of experience if there are trees on that you’d like to keep healthy for awhile.

An arborist doesn’t only consider the current situation. Instead, an experienced arborist will take time to research your trees and study their unique scenario (including their location and other factors that may put them at risk). After collecting all of the information, an arborist will suggest a long-term plan based on the trees’ unique needs and stick to that course of action until your goals for your trees are met.

This plan could require years to implement, but rest assured, it will result in healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for generations.

This type of annual care will aid in healthy tree growth, help your entire property fight off plant diseases and enhance fruit or flower production from your trees. It will also fortify your trees so there is less risk of falling trees or branches.

Being proactive about tree care can save you a lot of money too. Preventative care is far more affordable than paying for emergency tree services, storm damage cleanup or curing a sick tree of a disease that has gotten out of hand (and one that was easily preventable).

If you care about the health of your trees and the curb appeal of your landscaping, trust a certified arborist for tree pruning and maintenance from VT Tree Trimming. Discover our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Vermont. Call now!

Tree pruning in Vermont is an important professional service that can beautify and reinforce trees so they can withstand pests, diseases and inclement weather – and look good while doing it!

Pruning has to be completed if you want a healthy tree, but it needs to be done carefully by someone who knows what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from VT Tree Trimming. You may be able to prune and trim trees safely while they are small and developing, but you also may be doing permanent harm to the tree.

To safely prune trees, you need to know all of the following:

• When is the best time to prune your types of trees
• How much of the tree can be trimmed at at once
• Where to cut the branches so you do not harm the tree

Taking too much off of a tree might kill it or result in structural damage, but conservative pruning done each year benefits trees in several ways. Professional pruning helps to improve the appearance of trees, makes them stronger, eliminates dying or diseased portions and increases fruit or flower production.

For the best results, pruning must be done every year, but as trees get older, you might be able to wait two years between pruning services. Regardless of how regularly you have your trees trimmed, make sure your arborist is qualified to perform the type of tree pruning your trees need. This won’t be a problem if you call VT Tree Trimming in Vermont!

Types of Tree Pruning Methods

There are 7 ways to correctly prune a tree so that it grows stronger and healthier every year.

Depending on the size, type and health status of your trees, one pruning method might be more beneficial than another, but each technique has distinct benefits to consider.

Crown Thinning Your Trees

Crown thinning is common for older, overgrown trees in Vermont. This technique removes weak branches within the crown to improve sunlight and air flow through the crown. Air flow is important for disease prevention.

This pruning method also eliminates branches and limbs that are touching so they no longer rub up against one another and break or cause weakened areas that can be an entry point for pests. Limbs that grow at odd angles are typically cut off during crown thinning.

Crown Raising Your Trees

This pruning technique removes branches at the lowest part of the crown so limbs start higher up on the trunk. Allowing low branches to get too big makes them hard to cut off, and they can pull nutrients from the top of the tree, which leads to less fruit and a weaker tree.

There are a variety of reasons you may choose to raise the crown of a tree. Often, it is done in order to clear the line of sight for automobiles and pedestrians, but it can also be done to increase space for landscaping underneath the tree.

It is a common technique for large trees that are close to homes and buildings.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction lowers the total size of the tree’s crown from its exterior edge. It shortens branches horizontally and vertically to keep the tree at a manageable size. By reducing the crown size, you can remove the need to cut the tree down because it won’t come into contact with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.

Even if the tree isn’t near structures like those listed above, crown reduction will make the tree look much better because it eliminates irregular growth. This is a smart idea for trees that are various ages but you want to look uniform.

Crown Cleaning

Sometimes known as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive type of pruning technique that removes dying, snapped or diseased branches so that the rest of the tree will continue to grow normally. These limbs can only cause problems in the future.

Crown cleaning makes the tree look much better, and it stops limbs from rubbing together. And it is a safety practice that lowers the chance of branches falling, since healthy branches do not fall very often.

Crown Restoration

Crown restoration is an advanced trimming process used on trees that were significantly damaged (either by weather or vandals). It should be done by an experienced arborist who knows where the tree is going to grow in the future and roughly just how long it’s restoration is going to take.

Unlike most other tree pruning services, crown restoration happens during a longer period of time with conservative pruning that reshapes the tree. Your arborist should have a definitive plan to restore the tree, but also be flexible as the tree begins to grow and reshape on its own, adapting to the tree’s new growth pattern.

Vista Pruning

If you want trees that add to curb appeal, you are probably interested in vista pruning. The intent of vista pruning is to help to make the tree more aesthetically pleasing from a particular viewing point.

It encompasses many pruning techniques including crown thinning, crown reduction and crown cleaning – anything that makes the trees look more attractive. Remember, though, that an arborist is not going to sacrifice the health of a tree, so the focus of vista pruning is still to create strong, healthy trees.

Espalier Pruning

Espaliered trees are heavily pruned to grow flat against a wall or a trellis. It is a different style of tree trimming that will attract a lot of attention to your lawn. Espalier pruning should begin when the tree is very young and then done routinely throughout the tree’s life span.

of espalier pruning include facilitating maximum sunlight to reach the trees, as well as making it exceptionally easier to harvest fruit.

Professional Tree Pruning in Vermont

Tree trimming can be dangerous for a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! VT Tree Trimming highly suggests professional tree trimming over DIY.

Aside from the dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of damage to a tree if you don’t trim it properly. Excessive pruning is one of the most typical errors made by homeowners caring for their own trees.

Trees in Vermont that get routine care from a professionals are much better off, and hiring an experienced arborist from VT Tree Trimming to care for the trees on your property is a choice you won’t regret. Locate your city in our service area. We work with arborists throughout the entire state of Vermont!

Planting new trees on your property has several benefits. Trees provide summer shade, filter polluted air and increase property value. Everyone should plant trees.

Once completely grown, trees are easy to care for: another benefit! Trees are durable and tend to grow even with minimal care. However, if you want to ensure your trees achieve their full potential, they need more effort.

Lack of care for new trees could result in rotting, disease, under watering or pest problems.

Fortunately, caring for trees isn’t all that complicated, but you will want some tips to do it correctly. Familiarize yourself with the new trees you plant to know exactly what they need. Then care for them and watch them flourish.

Here, we’ll list the five best practices for planting a new tree and seeing it grow. You likely know the basics, so let’s dive deeper and lay out how to do each step.

Tree Care Tips for New Trees

These five tips will not only help keep your trees alive, they’ll help them grow much faster, resist strong winds, fight off diseases ,insects and pests and create more leaves, buds or fruit.

Water Your Tree

New trees need more water than well-established ones. The trees you plant are no exception.

The root of the tree and the soil all around it should be kept moist, but don’t let it get too wet, because this can cause the roots to rot.

The best practice is 4-10 gallons of water per week. This includes rain water, and although it’s hard to have an exact reading, a rain gauge can get you close enough to supplement the rest. Your trees will need this much water every week for the initial 2-3 growing seasons.

Mulch Around Your Trees

Mulch is much more than an attractive lawn care product. It also helps protect new trees, especially the roots. But laying mulch incorrectly can sometimes cause rotting and decay – so much so, that the new tree will not survive.

Place mulch exactly 3 inches away from the trunk of the tree and spread it out to cover the ground underneath the longest horizontal branch. For brand new trees, this won’t be very far, but as the tree continues to grow, your mulch area will grow as well.

Keep the mulch at least 2 to 4 inches thick in all areas around the tree. Be vigilant in keeping it spread out consistently and away from the tree trunk so it does not limit air flow around the tree trunk.

Fertilize Around Your Tree

Fertilizer provides several nutrients your soil may not have naturally. Most young trees will benefit from fertilizing, but you need to be using the right products and doing it at the correct time for fertilizer to be most impactful.

The ideal time to fertilize is during early spring. Sometimes early summer also provides good conditions (comfortable temperatures and moist soil), but don’t count on it.

If you are uncertain about which type of fertilizer to use, consult a tree care professional for recommendations. Slow-release fertilizers are typically a good idea because they feed trees over time rather than all right away.

Follow through with these tasks in the initial growing seasons after planting a new tree, and then reevaluate your watering, mulching and fertilizing needs as the tree becomes more established. As time goes on, there will be additional tree care projects that become more important for your young trees.

Trim Your Tree

Tree trimming is very important – but very challenging – in the early years after you plant a tree. As the tree grows bigger, you may see many little branches take off, attempting to become the tree’s trunk. You may think this means that the tree is healthy and growing well, but it can actually lead to a very weak tree over time.

Early trimming helps to shape the tree into what it will ultimately look like when it is much larger. As little branches emerge from the lower trunk, they must be removed so they don’t pull water and nutrients away from the branches at the top of the tree.

As long as you have trees somewhere on your property, they need to be trimmed regularly. When the trees get too large for you to prune them safely, you can count on VT Tree Trimming to do the job for you.

Monitor Your Tree

Growing trees are at the most risk for damage, disease and insect issues. But you’re never truly safe from these issues. As your tree grows larger, monitor it closely for evidence of disease or bad nutrition, including the following:

• Leaf color changing out of season, with leaves turning yellow or brown
• Early leaf falling, despite whether these leaves look healthy or diseased
• Wilting, despite adequate watering
• Individual limbs or branches dying
• Peeling bark

These signals indicate a health issue. It is probably going to need professional care if your hope is to keep the tree alive. A certified arborist can typically diagnose the issue by just looking at the tree, although they will do testing if deemed necessary.

If you determine the problem quick enough, you will probably be able to save the tree from dying. Being proactive is the best course of action to protect your growing trees.

The steps above are simple yet effective. Don’t underestimate the importance of the basics! When your new trees have proper care, combined with sunshine and barring severe, damaging weather, the chances are probable that the tree will survive and look beautiful!

Of course, you might already have a full schedule and don’t want to take on these additional tasks. In some cases, property owners don’t have the physical ability or the tools to give their new trees the appropriate maintenance.

Whatever the situation, it’s ok to hire a local tree service for the care of new trees. A professional arborist in Vermont can consult with you about the course of maintenance for each type of tree you plant. They love sharing their expertise and skills with homeowners planting brand new trees, and they can make the difference between trees struggling and trees that thrive.

Call VT Tree Trimming now for information on routine tree maintenance in Vermont – including tree pruning – for new trees and old trees. A local tree service will determine the best plan for your trees! Locate your city in our service area here.