Although the summer temperatures in Knoxville don’t get exceedingly hot, there is some humidity to contend with. Moreover, dry summers translate into less rain, which means your trees may suffer if neglected. Here are some steps you can take to prepare your trees for the summer heat.
1. Inspect Your Trees
Make sure to check the health of all the trees on your property. Some may need to be watered more, and others may need a trim. This is a good time to also remove any weak branches. Look at the barks and the leaves. If you see any signs of an insect infestation, call an arborist. You’ll want to nip any infestations in the bud as soon as possible. Humidity often attracts insects, and if you ignore the problem now, it may get significantly worse.
2. Keep a Constant Watering Schedule
The leaves of your trees should be green. Yellow leaves mean they’re trying to conserve water. Alternatively, they could be suffering from heat stress. It’s important that you prevent the leaves from turning yellow in the first place and ensure that your trees are well watered as you head into summer. To do this, contact an arborist to check the soil’s moisture level.
If the upcoming summer is predicted to be a particularly dry one, you may want to prepare your trees by having a deep, slow watering method put into place. An arborist will tell you which of your trees need more water and which ones need less.
3. Prepare for Any Thunderstorms by Trimming
With the summer heat comes severe thunderstorms. This means you’ll need to trim your trees before summer arrives to prevent them from breaking and damaging your property or causing injury to others. Check with an arborist to find out which trees should be trimmed and which should be left alone. Not all trees should be trimmed in the spring or early summer. Some should only be trimmed in the fall or winter. However, you can trim hardwoods in the summer, such as birch, maple, and walnut trees.
4. Mulch Around Your Tree
To help your trees conserve water over a dry summer, mulch around them. Mulching has many benefits. It keeps the soil cooler during the summer and warmer during the winter, thereby protecting your tree. It also helps to control the growth of weeds. Depending on the type of mulch you use, you can help fertilize the soil, too. Organic mulch is especially helpful. And finally, putting mulch around your tree helps prevent soil erosion.
It’s important to prepare your trees for the summer to minimize diseases, injury, or even sudden death due to a drought. At Shelton’s Tree Service, we can help with tree removal, trimming, pruning, and emergency cleanup services. We also offer stump grinding and storm prep or clean-up services. Contact us today to talk to an arborist.
