Late summer or early fall is when we should start thinking about how to prepare our trees to do their best through the winter! A good way to think about it is preventative maintenance because taking proper care of your trees provides them longevity and vitality through the coldest months of the year. Here are three quick tips on how you can help your leafy friends this fall!
Fertilize, fertilize, fertilize!
Spring and summer are full of new growth, nutrients and all kinds of helpful things. In winter, we want to be able to help our trees preserve their strength by providing them with a good dose of nutrition before the temperatures plummet. Tree roots typically do most of their growing in the cooler, less intense fall sunshine, which is one of the reasons it’s a good idea to plant new trees in autumn! Fertilizing in the fall will not only help promote root growth, but it will set up your trees to face the harsh Alberta winters.
Pruning
It’s actually easier to see the areas that need pruning or maintenance when all the leaves are gone, which is why we recommend pruning in fall! Clear out those problem areas, cut away dead or dying branches and the parts that won’t directly benefit your tree to give them a chance to do their thing when spring arrives again!
Thank you, Mulch
Fall to early winter weather is unpredictable here in Alberta, but often it’s dry and cool. This is why it’s important to get your trees as much moisture before they go head first into winter. Mulching is a terrific way to hold moisture and reduce the extreme temperature spikes which in turn keeps the roots of the tree safer. A thin layer of mulch is like a blanket to keep those trees and it’s toes cozy!
To ensure our tree friends head into the winter with their best foot forward, it’s important to remember these three tips! It’s not difficult to help the trees that line our yards, it just takes time. Give your trees the gift of your time this fall and help them make it the best one yet!
