In the Douglas County Extension office this year, over 50%
of the calls and emails to the Master Gardeners and I have been residents
concerned about their trees. From the
Cold Snap event last November, to the Mother’s Day freeze, to our hot and dry
August/September weather where many areas didn’t receive more than a few drops
of rain, trees along the Front Range have had their share of adverse growing
conditions. We can’t control the weather, but we can control how we care for
our trees this fall and winter. Here are some tips:
1.
Mulch:
Wood/bark-chip mulch is highly recommended on newly planted trees as well as
existing landscape trees. Trees with a mulch ring typically have 20% more
early growth compared to trees where turf grows up to the trunk. This is
due to the lack of competition with the grass and/or weeds. In a landscape
setting, the mulch ring is typically two to four feet wide or up to the width
of the drip line (spread of branches) for young trees. Wood chip mulch
three to four inches deep conserves moisture, gives better weed control and
prevents soil compaction by foot traffic. On newly planted trees, do not
mulch over the root ball. On established trees, keep mulch at least six
inches from the trunk. Never pile mulch up against the trunk, since wet
mulch can lead to bark decay or cover for mice, voles and other animals to feed
on bark under mulch. Mulch also protects
the trees from lawn mower and weed eater injury. For more information on mulch,
click here.
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| Photo: CSU Extension |
2.
Trunk
wrap for newly planted trees: Use
tree wrap on young, recently planted trees that have not developed protective
bark (Maple trees are especially prone to winter bark injury). Use tree/trunk
guards to protect young trees from mechanical and animal damage. Apply tree
wrap around mid-November; remove in April. For more information, click here.
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| Photo: Gardener's Edge |
3.
Pruning:
Pruning dead or broken branches is fine any time of year, including fall. Extensive structural pruning of live branches is not
recommended at this time. Fall pruning may stimulate late-season growth which
could make the tree susceptible to freezing injury. Structural pruning for most trees is
best performed in late winter, before trees break dormancy. Click here for more
information.
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| Photo: tree removal.com |
4.
Fall and
Winter Watering: During times of low
precipitation, watering trees is necessary in our dry climate. Water trees when there isn’t snow cover and
daytime temperatures reach in the 40-50°F
range. Once a month should be enough. When the sprinkler system has been turned
off, using hoses and sprinklers may be necessary. Make sure you check with your
municipality to see if there are any water restrictions. For more information,
check out the Fact Sheet here.
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| Photo: Sacramento Tree Foundation |
