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
Go Green: 4 Tips For Planting Your Live Holiday Tree
Joshua Mercier
If you've decided to buy a live tree for the holidays, you'll need to take some extra steps to help it transition to your yard once the holidays are over. Purchasing a live tree is an excellent way to decorate for the holidays while still doing something good for the environment. However, if you're not careful, your tree might not survive the season. Here are four steps you need to take with your live holiday tree.
Dig the Hole Early
If you live in an area that experiences freezing temperatures during the winter, you'll want to dig the hole for your tree as soon as possible. If you wait until after the holidays, the ground may be too frozen to dig into. Unfortunately, that means your live tree could die before you have the chance to plant it. To avoid that, go out and dig your hole before you buy your tree. Make sure the hole is deep enough for the entire root ball. If the ground is already frozen, dig the hole in sections. Dig as deep as you can go, and then add about a gallon of hot water. Once the water has soaked into the soil, dig down deeper. Continue until you have the proper hole for your tree.
Check the Root Ball
When buying a live tree for the holidays, you want to look beyond size and shape. You also want to look at the root ball. If the root ball has been damaged or is non-existent, your tree won't survive being transplanted after the holidays. You want to choose a tree that has a large, healthy root ball. The healthiest live trees will have their root balls protected by a layer of burlap cloth. Leave the burlap cloth on the tree until you're ready to transplant it into your yard.
Place it in a Safe Location
Once you bring your tree home, be sure to choose the right location to display it in the house. You want to avoid placing it near any heater vents. That's because your tree will have already gone into its dormancy stage. Warm air from the vents may cause your tree to come out of winter dormancy too early.
Take Care When Planting Your Tree
After the holidays, you'll want to plant your tree as soon as possible. Unlike cut trees that can be displayed for several weeks, your live tree should be planted just a few days after the holidays. As soon as you remove the decorations, move your tree outside so that it can readjust to the cold air for at least a week. On planting day, remove the burlap cover from the root ball, and place the tree inside the hole. Fill the hole with soil, and add a layer of mulch all the way around the base of the tree. When spring arrives, give your new tree its first application of fertilizer. Contact a tree care service to come trim it periodically, which will help maintain its shape.
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