Tree Care: Are You Harming Your Healthy Trees?

harming, helping tree, tree care

 

Trees tend to have a long lifespan. Some tree species are known to live for centuries while others live for decades. Trees have a life cycle and with the right tree care you can ensure your tree has a long lifespan. Tree trimming is an important aspect of tree care. There are several tree pruning services in Dallas that can make sure your tree grows the way it should.

You could be harming your tree without even realizing it if you are trimming it using the wrong technique or in an improper way. Trees go a long way in adding to the curb appeal to your property and improving its value. You don’t want to lose out on the enhanced property value by having a damaged or dead tree on your property.

It’s important that you let the professionals handle the job if you suspect a tree is coming close to its end. Tree care experts may be able to prolong the life of your tree for a few more years. Or else, they would ensure that the tree is removed from your property in a safe and efficient manner.

How Are You Harming Your Tree?

You may be taking proactive steps to protect your tree, which may in turn be harming it. For instance, you may want to protect your tree with a girdling while you mow the lawn. This may cause bark scrapes to occur. Or, you may be mulching too much or too close to the roots starving the tree of ground oxygen. Some homeowners without realizing get salt too close to their trees during the winter, which can actually shorten the lifespan of your tree.

Other things that could be harming your tree include:

Covering roots

You should not be covering the roots of your trees with decorations, erections, or anything else. The root system is not protected in this effort. In fact, it may be harming your trees more than protecting them. Instead, if you really want to do something for your tree, you should consider putting more dirt over the exposed tree roots. But, you should know that this may cause unsightly mounds and tripping hazards in your yard.

Tying a dog

Trees seem like the perfect spot to tie your dog up. However, tugging, jumping, and rubbing can damage the bark of your tree. This is the first line of defense against pests, elements, and other dangers.

Poor pruning

Every tree care expert knows the importance of proper pruning. You should never attempt to prune a tree on your own. Many people make the mistake of over pruning, which can harm the tree and it can cause more harm than good. So, it’s best to leave the pruning to the professionals.

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How to Prevent Leaning Trees?

prevent leaning trees, leaning trees, save leaning trees

 

Your trees can develop a lean for a wide variety of reasons. They may not be properly planted or maybe you have been overwatering them which has caused a shallow root system. In most cases, leaning trees right themselves up. However, in some cases you may need the help of a professional tree service in Fort Worth Texas to provide added support to the tree.

There are several steps you can take to prevent trees from leaning. Proper tree maintenance plays an important role in your tree’s health.

Annual Inspection

Texas is known for its storms and bad weather. Heavy rain, ice, high winds and tornadoes are quite common in this part of the country. You need to make sure that a certified arborist inspects and maintains your tree at least once a year. Improperly maintained trees are susceptible to damage from severe weather. Leaning is one of the most common concerns in trees after inclement weather.

A certified arborist would know how to detect structural issues. They would recommend fixes before the tree starts leaning. They can also identify other potentially concerning factors, such as cracked or broken limbs, fungus growth diseases, weather, improper pruning, insects, construction damage, and rot or planting mistakes.

Tree Trimming

Tree trimming is another way to prevent the top from getting too high. Many top-heavy trees develop a lean in high winds because their base is not structurally sound enough. Cutting away a few branches and limbs can cause the tree to become stronger. It will also help in taking away a lot of added weight. Most trees are burdened by dead or decaying branches. Your tree trimmer will remove these branches to allow new growth to burst forth.

Trees that are trimmed are also automatically healthier. They will have a strong and robust root system. This root system is imperative in protecting the tree and preventing it from leaning. Regular trimming makes sure the tree stays upright in safe conditions and gets enough sunshine.

Avoid Topping a Tree

While trimming and pruning are important, you should never top a tree. This is where the top of the canopy is lopped off. This causes the tree to attain an unsightly stump at the top. It creates an unnatural appearance which is susceptible to insects, decay, and diseases. This may also result in the root system becoming weak and the tree to start leaning.

Make Sure the Tree Planted Properly

Improperly planted trees may develop a lean. This makes it important to always plant your trees properly at the right depth. You can get help from a certified tree care expert to understand which tree is right for the existing soil conditions. A leaning tree can cause tremendous problems if not fixed quickly.

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Identify and Manage Invasive Plants

Invasive plants are not native to an ecosystem. Further, their introduction results in harm to that ecosystem. Their presence can negatively impact the environment as they spread aggressively and outperform native plants. They can also hurt the local economy, affecting agriculture, outdoor recreation or operation of utilities, to name a few. In some cases, invasive species can even introduce threats to human health like toxins and allergens not previously common in a geographic region. For many property owners, invasive plants can also be a major nuisance. They are often difficult to remove and control, and quickly take over prized landscape plantings and native woodlands.


Invasive plants easily overtake and outperform native species.

Depending on your location, there are likely a number of invasive species that have already become established. Each region seems to have a plant that locals know and hate. For example, Japanese knotweed, burning bush and tree of heaven are all well-known, and unloved, invaders.

Japanese knotweed
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica)
tree of heaven
Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
winged euonymus
Winged euonymus, burning bush (Euonymus alatus)Some common invasive plant species.

Some invasive plants were introduced accidentally. Others were first planted intentionally, owing to some endearing quality they possess. Once established, however, these species have overtaken ecosystems by outcompeting native flora and have negatively impacted wildlife populations.

Be sure to know what plants are considered invasive in your area. The USDA provides a number of resources and invasive species lists at the National Invasive Species Information Center.

What do do about invasive plants

Some places have instituted programs to control the spread of invasive plants. In fact, many areas now restrict the sale of certain species known to be invasive.

Removing invasive plants on your property is largely dependent on the species. Methods include:

pulling plants out at the roots manually;mowing or trimming to prevent plant growth;judicious use of selective herbicides;using grazing animals to control plant populations.

It is important to tailor strategies for managing invasive plants to the species, situation and local ecosystem. A multi-faceted approach may be necessary because these plants have an amazing capability to persist and regrow. Local experts, such as a Certified Arborist, can provide good advice.

When an appropriate program is implemented, the results can be astounding. Just know that even when you see short-term results, management of invasive plants often requires a long-term commitment.

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