When it comes to summer tree care, there are some common misconceptions homeowners have. From watering trees to pruning to how much insecticide to use—the questions can be endless.
So, let’s take a look at some care tips and debunk a few common myths around summer tree care.
Watering Trees In The Summertime
If you’re planting trees in the spring, remember to give them a good watering immediately after they’re in, and then once a week for the first two months.
For the rest of the summer, watering once every two weeks should be adequate unless we get into an especially hot and dry spell.
For well-established trees, you may want to deeply soak the soil around them once a week. Depending on the size of the tree, water a foot or two away from the base of the trunk.
Never Prune Trees In The Summer
Whether it’s from summer storm damage or disease, sometimes removing weak limbs from your tree is a must. And the best time to prune a tree or shrub (from the standpoint of the health of a plant) is to prune in late fall or early spring.
And always make the cut near to where the branch originates on the trunk or main limb; never leave a stub. The exception to this is with pruning hedges, which require a definitive shape.
But the Michigan Department of Natural Resources warns that if you want to keep your oak trees healthy, don’t prune them from mid-April through the summer because it’s a key infection time for oak wilt.
Oak wilt is a serious disease that can weaken white oaks and kill red oak trees within weeks.
One Insecticide And Fungal Spray Is Enough
To protect your trees all summer long from pests and diseases, insecticides and fungal sprays are often recommended. But you have to make sure that your battle with the Japanese beetle or other tree pests doesn’t impact your tree’s health.
Be careful about mixing insecticides and fungal spray.Your tree’s leaves could become stunted, twisted, feel leathery, curl or drop. Tree growth will slow and branches will die back.
What We Recommend
Safari Tree recommends three applications for summer-long protection. Step 1 is insect and disease control. It handles diseases like apple scab, needle cast, and diplopia, and insects such as scale crawlers and aphids.
Our second application will continue to continue to protect against damage, and then application three will also target mites, which are more common in late summer and early fall.
Using a professional tree service company ensures you won’t encounter any pesticides that are harmful to trees. Click through if you’re interested in learning more about Safari Tree’s services.
