Tree Care Measures That Can Hurt Your Trees If Done Incorrectly

9 October 2019
Categories: , Blog

You need to care for your trees if you want them to be healthy, strong, and beautiful. Unfortunately, if you don't know how to care for your trees, you can do them more harm than good. Below are some tree care measures that can damage your trees if you are not careful.

Trimming

Tree trimming offers multiple benefits. For example, you can trim a tree to get rid of diseased parts, to help it withstand wind forces, to increase fruit production, to improve aesthetics, and to improve the overall health of the tree. However, various damages might ensue if you don't do the trimming correctly.

For example, the tree might not be able to manufacture adequate food if you remove too many of its branches. Cutting branches too close to the trunk exposes the tree to disease attacks. Removing too many branches on one side of the tree interferes with its balance and increases the risk of a lean or fall.

Mulching

Mulching involves applying materials around a tree to act as ground cover. Both organic and inorganic mulch is available. Mulching reduces water loss from the soil, acts as a buffer for extreme temperatures, reduces the occurrence of weeds, and prevents soil compaction, among other benefits. The benefits are particularly pronounced for young trees.

Unfortunately, mulching can also be dangerous if done incorrectly. For example, too much mulch or the wrong mulch materials can trap too much water on the soil. Mulch can also choke the roots by depleting oxygen in the soil. Then there is also the issue of organic mulch that can attract pests to the tree.

Staking

Staking involves driving stakes posts into the ground and tying the weak tree to the stakes. Staking a young or weak tree can help it withstand severe weather, but improper staking can also lead to damage if done incorrectly. Staking the tree at an incorrect height, trying the tree too tightly, or staking the tree for too long can all lead to problems. In fact, improper staking is even more dangerous than no staking at all since it can cause the tree to snap.

Watering

Lastly, trees do need water to survive and be healthy. Large trees might not need water, especially if they are healthy. However, newly planted trees may need watering. Again, improper watering can trigger problems instead of helping the tree. For example, too much water can drive air out of the soil and cause the roots to rot.

About Me

The one challenge I always had with my house was the fact that there was no bathroom on the first floor. Once I reached a point where I had equity in the house, I decided it was time to do some renovations. After working with a local construction contractor to map out the plans for converting the mud room into a first-floor bathroom, I decided to chronicle the entire process. I created this site to do just that in the hopes that reading about my experiences and what I learned may help others decide to tackle that renovation project they've always wanted to do as well.