When I first bought a new house, I realized that the front trees were a little overgrown. I was worried about a branch breaking in the wind and smashing into a window or the roof, and so I decided to invest in professional tree service. When the arborist came, he had more concerns than just a few overgrown branches. Apparently, a few of my trees had also developed serious pest infestations, and I was worried about what it might mean for their health. He carefully trimmed each tree to ward off disease, and within a few weeks, they were looking a lot better. This blog explains how a professional tree trimmer could help you, so that you aren't left with dying trees.
Keeping Your Trees Healthy
Planting And Caring For A Northern Catalpa Tree
Joshua Mercier
If you're looking for an attractive, medium-sized, flowering tree for your yard, the northern catalpa is a great candidate. This type of tree is known for its bright green, heart-shaped leaves along with its showy white or yellow flowers. Northern catalpas are easy to plant as saplings and care for as they grow into mature trees. Just follow this guide.
Planting your young northern catalpa
Visit a garden store near your home, and look for a catalpa sapling. Select one that has plenty of leaves and a thick trunk, as these are signs that the tree is strong and healthy. Choose a planting site that receives full to partial sunlight. Soil quality is not overly important, as catalpas will grow in most any soil, from well drained to wet.
Once you have selected a site, dig a hole that is about twice as wide as the root ball. Place the tree in the hole, and bury it in soil just up to the bulge where the roots join the stem. Pack the soil in well, but not too tightly, and then water the tree well.
Caring for the tree: The first few years
If the soil in your area is rich and loamy, you may not need to fertilize your northern catalpa tree at all. However, if you have clay or sandy soil, you will want to apply a standard, 10-10-10 fertilizer a few weeks after planting and then again each spring when the tree is young. This will not only encourage the tree to grow, but will also increase the beauty of the flowers. Mix the fertilizer according to the package instructions, and remember to spread it in a circle a few feet out from the trunk so it comes into contact with the roots.
Your tree will also need to be trimmed when it is young to ensure that it grows into an attractive shape. If you are not experienced in tree trimming, it's best to hire a professional, like those at Destiny's Tree Service LLC, to tackle this task, since trimming too many or the wrong branches may stunt the tree's growth.
Caring for the tree: Once mature
Once your northern catalpa tree is about five years old, you will no longer need to fertilize it, since its roots will be more established and can reach further below ground, extracting needed nutrients from the soil. You should, however, continue to have it trimmed once a year -- in the spring before the buds appear -- in order to maintain its shape and ensure that dead branches don't take up valuable energy.
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