Tree Care Tips to Keep Your Trees Healthy

- Spring tree pruning keeps your trees happy. Prune out dead wood and remove branches that have potential to cause disease or allow entry for fungus or pests. By executing your spring pruning it will enhance the trees ability to have a strong and healthy growing season.

- Tree’s have natural dieback which need to get pruned out. A certified arborist can spot the differences between natural and unnatural dieback this could be crucial for recognizing potential problems for the tree in the future.

- Mature and older trees can have their life extended by pruning, but the pruning needs to be exact. This is because the ability for them to heal is hindered with age. Precise pruning practices must be used to promote optimal healing after broken branches or pruning cuts have been made. These pruning practices can also be done with consideration for structures and other plants in your landscape as well as aesthetic goals.

- Keep an eye out for trunk damage after the winter season. This could leave your tree with unsafe and hazardous threats. Examples would include frost cracks in the main trunk or unions. Warning signs could also be water trapped in holes that can cause extreme critical rot. This often occurs where animals have had their homes for winter or in previous decay cavities.

- Recognition of early signs and symptoms of disease can often help save trees. For example, oozing sap could be a warning sign of lots of different underlying problems with your tree. Trees can look healthy from the outside but there are many signs of different internal tree problems. Certified arborists are trained to diagnose and treat many of these problems.

- Fruit trees should be pruned in the early spring. Fruit trees and flowering trees undertake a much quicker healing process if pruned in early spring. Typically, this helps to bring better fruit and flowers earlier.

- Plan to plant early. There are many things to consider when planting a new tree. Selection of the tree is important, as well as picking the site, preparing the soil, and ongoing care. A certified arborist is your best resource to help you prepare for planting and ongoing maintenance.

- Adding mulch or replacing existing mulch can be done early in spring. Adding mulch on the critical root zone of the trees in your landscape has many benefits. Including, helping to store moisture, giving essential minerals and nutrients to the tree, helping to improve soil quality, it also helps to keep weeds down and increase curb appeal.

Stump grinding is a tree removal service that can eliminate an unwanted stump after a tree has died, fallen, or needed to be cut.

Some of the main benefits of stump grinding include: maintaining a tidy lawn, neat hedges, and immaculate landscaping – a tree stump isn’t soft on the eyes. Stump grinding in Ottawa is an affordable service that can greatly improve the look of your property and increase its value. If you have a small yard, a tree stump can take up a lot of space above ground and even more below, making it difficult to landscape or garden. Removing a stump can make room for a new fresh look or addition of a flower bed, a table and chairs, or a small pond.

A benefit of stump grinding is how accurate it can be. Our various shapes and sizes of grinding machines remove stumps with precision, which decreases damage to surrounding trees, plants or landscaping.

When a tree stump is left behind in the ground, it can potentially cause new trees to spring up around it. Often, new growth from a tree stump causes a cluster of small trees to pop up at its base. Besides being unsightly, this group of young trees can also be damaging to any plants nearby because they will absorb water and nutrients from the soil for their own growth. Tree stumps also make a perfect home for insects like termites, wood borers, ants, and beetles, and stump removal can prevent these pests from making their way into your home.

Dead trees should be taken down in the fall before winter hits.
- The winter season can be the most dangerous time for trees to fall.
Prune Trees before the snow and cold…
- By pruning your tree you will give it the best possible chance not to attain damage in the winter months.
Being proactive about tree care can save you time and money!
By pruning in the fall instead of the spring you can make sure all your dead branches are off the tree; these are the branches with highest chances to snap off in the winter and cause damage.
Taking weight off your tree in areas that are frequently used under the tree…
- Driveways, sidewalks, play areas, fences, decks, etc.

Signs to look for in identifying hazardous trees or branches:

• Discoloured branches or peeling bark from branches.
• Leaves turning in colours before other trees in neighbouring areas.
• Needles turning orange or purple earlier then others in neighbouring areas.
• Fungus or mushrooms growing on the tree or near the base of the tree.
• Cracks/holes in trunk or main branches.
• Water leakage or sap leakage from trunk.
• Roots above ground at base of tree or soil being pushed up at base of tree.
• Dieback of branches from sections of the tree.
• Woodpecker or other wildlife or insects living or eating tree.

Mulching = fertilizing for mature trees

– install 2-3 inches of mulch over critical root zone to increase nutrients and help hold moisture

Benefits of Proper Mulching

• Reduces soil moisture loss
• Helps control weed growth
• Insulates soil, protecting roots from extreme temperatures
• Can improve soil biology, aeration, and drainage over time
• Can improve soil fertility
• Inhibits some plant diseases
• Adds curb appeal

Contact your trusted Ottawa arborists to learn more about our tree maintenance and tree care tips.

Tree Pruning & Care

Stump Grinding

Fall Tree Care Tips!

Mulching