Tree Health

Tree Health

I you have trees on you property consider them an investment. But like other investments if you neglect them they may diminish so do not neglect the investment you have in your trees.  Trees will increase your properties value, add beauty your home, community and country, help to filter the CO2 from our air and conserve energy by providing cool shade from the summer’s heat and protection from cold winters wind.

Regular maintenance, including tree pruning and inspections by qualified arborist, mulching and fertilising help maintain your trees health, and protect and even increase their value.  Preventing a problem in a tree while the problem is young is much easier and less costly than fixing a defect once it has become a major problem.

A qualified Arborist is able to provide an effective maintenance program, including regular arborist inspections and the necessary follow-up care of mulching, fertilizing, and tree pruning. Having a regular maintenance program can assist in detecting problems and correcting them before they cause irreparable damage or fatality. Correct tree pruning for health involves the removal of diseased wood, caused by insect and storm damage, thinning the crown to increase airflow, and removing crossed branches that rub, allowing disease to enter and weakening to occur.  Tree pruning can be used to encourage trees to develop a strong structure and reduce the likelihood of damage during storms and high winds. Removing broken or damaged limbs encourages good wound healing, which limits the chance of diseases entering pruning cuts.

When pruning trees it is essential to use correct pruning techniques. Incorrect techniques can cause unnecessary injury. Incorrect cuts injure stem tissues which can result in delayed wound healing and allow disease and decay to the tree.

Tree Inspection

Tree inspections are carried out by arborists to spot any change in the tree’s health before the problem becomes too serious. By caring out regular tree inspections of trees at least once a year, you can prevent or reduce potential hazards such as future storm damage, natural defects like co-dominant stems, large dead wood, decay, lifting root balls leading to tree falling and much more.

Tree inspections are not a costly task and if conducted regular will save you money in the long run.

Mulching

Tree mulching can take place in many forms, by covering the ground within the drip line of a tree with a organic mulch soil structure, aeration and retained moister levels will be increased improving the overall health of the tree.

To select the type of mulch to use will depend on what is available to you. Keep in mind you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on mulch!! You can simply make your own mulch by composting garden and organic house hold waste. Alternatively recycling or green waste centers grind up green waste and compost it to usable mulch. Garden centers also sell bagged mulch such as sugar cane (this can become a costly exercise if you plan to mulch a large area of land. Stay away from barks as they take a long time to break down and offer very little benefits to soil improvement and tree health.

The most beneficial mulch the mulch you can make by chipping or shredding green waste form pruning’s your garden.

I hope this article has helped you to better understand the importance for tree health.