Aside from being leaf season, fall is also a good time to complete some basic home maintenance tasks, and don’t forget your green spaces! It is also important to prepare the soil and trees before sending them off to their dormant period. Remember, your trees and shrubs also need love and care to bear freezing temperatures and to thrive again in the next spring.
Here are some must-do fall tree care tips to ensure that you find your garden in the best shape come next spring!
Tip #1: Prune The Trees
Carefully pruned trees are safer, grow healthier, and can withstand the upcoming harsh climate better. Besides, your garden will look groomed throughout the winter! Pruning and trimming your trees should focus on removing dead, damaged, weak, and diseased branches to prevent pest infestation. This will also eliminate potential safety hazards posed by fallen limbs on strong windy or snowy days!
Tip #2: Fertilize And Add Mulch
Fertilize the trees and shrubs that show signs of a nutrient problem. Common signs include leaves changing color and falling off prematurely, weak growth, and wilting. You must also get your soil checked for its nutrient content so that you do not over-fertilize your lawn. Better yet, seek professional help to choose the right fertilization program for your trees and shrubs.
Also, empower your garden to battle the freezing winter climate by adding mulch. A thin layer of mulch acts as an insulation that not only helps the roots retain moisture and nutrients but also regulates soil temperature by providing extra protection against the outside weather!
Tip #3: Deep Water
Avoid watering your shrubs and trees, including the deciduous and evergreens, in the early fall. However, deep water both the young and fully-grown trees only once in the late fall when they have shed all their leaves. This is important to ensure that they have ample moisture to sustain cold weather.
Tip #4: Compost Fallen Leaves
Fall foliage makes perfect, nutrition-rich compost for your trees. Once you are done cleaning your yard, save the foliage and discard the other debris. Now put the leaves and other tiny twigs and branches in a compost box. Add your every-day organic kitchen waste such as peels, tea bags, and coffee grinds. By the time spring arrives, you’ll have your own organic soil to spread around your trees and shrubs to promote recovery!
Tip #5: Plant New Trees
The early fall is the perfect time to add new trees and shrubs to your landscape. The autumn climate provides a combination of cool air and warm soil, which encourages root growth, helping the new saplings establish well before the ground freezes in winter. The choice of right trees and shrubs for your garden should depend on the plant’s full-grown size. This is important to ensure that your new additions fit in the design of your existing landscape. You must also provide them with ample space to grow and not put them too close to each other or the building structures.
Tip #6: Tend To Your Young Trees
The winter weather is always the harshest over the weak, and this also applies to your young trees. Since their roots are not fully developed yet, young trees may fail to withstand the frequent freezing and thawing that occurs in the late fall and during winter months. To protect them from dramatic temperature changes, you can add a thick layer of mulch for a greater insulation effect. However, make sure you do not cover it right against the trunk as this can lead to moisture build-up, attracting pests and fungus growth!
Need professional help to ensure that you provide your lawn the best care this fall? Get in touch with our experts at SAB Lawn & Landscaping Inc to learn about our fall lawncare services and affordable rates! You can reach out to us in Great Falls, McLean, Arlington, Vienna, Oakton, Fairfax, and other areas of Northern Virginia at 703-661-6010!
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