Having shade trees in your yard has many wonderful benefits. Underneath a large shade tree is the perfect location for a backyard BBQ or for kids to spend time outside. It will also keep your home cooler when temperatures rise.

To get the full benefit of shade trees, you need to plant the right species and care for them correctly.

CT Tree Trimming has recommendations for the best trees to plant for shade, as well as some expert advice on caring for your shade trees so they continue to grow healthy and strong.

Planting Trees for Shade

All trees can provide shade, but there are some species that are built for the best shade. These types of trees often have a thick, wide canopy that reaches out about as far as it does upward.

In the following paragraphs, we’ve provided some examples of shade trees based on whether they would be best suited for your front or back yard.

Back Yard Shade Trees

Shade trees in the back yard are typically for your own benefit. Next-door neighbors and passersby usually won’t see these trees , so they can be planted purely for shade and enjoyment.

In addition to shade, these trees can provide year-round color as well as some additional privacy.

Here are popular options:

• Magnolia
• Sugar maple or silver maple
• Weeping willow
• Weeping cherry
• Red oak

If you have a large enough space, a live oak is a beautiful choice. Live oaks are said to be the fastest growing shade trees, and are able to get very large. An older live oak is able to grow up to 80 feet tall and up to 100 feet wide.

Many of these back yard tree suggestions get extremely large, so you need to do a little research to find out if the tree will have enough space to grow to its full potential.

If there is not enough room, the tree’s root system can destroy your fencing or even your home. You will also have to prune the tree every year to keep it from being overgrown. A tree that grows too large for its location will most likely have to be removed, which is an inconvenient and sometimes costly situation.

Front Yard Shade Trees

In the front yard, you are planting trees for your enjoyment as well, but these trees will be a lot more impactful for adding curb appeal and value to your home than the back yard trees.

Choose shade trees for the front yard that are a little smaller so they don’t overshadow your home and landscaping. These trees should pair with your landscaping in both size and color, while still creating lots of shade for front yard relaxation and play.

These are some of the shade trees CT Tree Trimming recommends:

Red maple
River birch
Dogwood
White oak
Ginkgo tree

These trees are colorful throughout the year, and they’ll exude even more color during the fall.
Another good option for your front or side yard is the ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae. This hedge-like tree can be planted in a long row with others to provide privacy as well as shade.

With these suggestions in mind, we encourage you to plant trees you like. In all honesty, any type of tree can grow to become a “shade tree.” As long as the trees you choose are suitable for the weather in Connecticut, they will provide your yard and home with shade.

Benefits of Planting Shade Trees

The reasons to have shade n your yard are numerous — there are some that you likely don’t typically think about.

Shade, Obviously – When temperatures soar, you don’t need to run indoors if you have a comfortable, shady yard. Place a chair or hammock below your biggest shade tree and relax outside as long as you like.

Climate Control – Trees can regulate the temperature in your yard and inside your house. Not only do trees protect you from the glaring sun, but they can make it feel 10-15 degrees colder underneath their protective canopies. This translates to less solar radiation on your roof and siding as well, which should also result in lower energy costs!

Better Air Quality – Trees produce oxygen and remove pollutants, so there is healthier air around your house. Arbor Day Foundation research states that one mature tree absorbs around 48 pounds of CO2 from the air.

Safety for Animals – If you’re into bird watching or think squirrels and chipmunks are adorable, your trees can give them all they will need to build a shelter, find nearby food and raise babies.

Fun – What kid doesn’t want a backyard tire swing or tree house? If you have children, shade trees can provide hours of fun and joyful memories.

How to Care for Shade Trees

Caring for shade trees is simple as long as you’ve chosen the right species for the weather in Connecticut. Healthy trees are strong and durable after a couple of years, needing little attention or care.

Consult an arborist from CT Tree Trimming if you have any questions about the care of your shade trees, or to help you select the best tree for your yard.

Once you have determined the perfect shade tree(s), follow this simple care guide until your shade tree is well established.

Planting Your Shade Tree

The south, west and east of your property get the most sun, so plant your new trees on one of these areas of your yard. This is two-fold: 1) the trees will then provide the most amount of shade and 2) they will also receive the most amount of sun to grow healthy.

Trimming Your Shade Tree

Prune during the first year or two after planting the tree in order to shape it and help it develop a strong foundation. To be safe, and for the best results, call CT Tree Trimming for tree trimming in Connecticut. A certified arborist will arrive at your home and deliver professional care for the tree.

Watering Your Shade Tree

Watering a new tree is very important. This helps them form a deep root system and will give the tree more stability over the course of its lifetime.

Fertilizing Your Shade Tree

Homeowners should fertilize a shade tree the same way you would any other tree in order to support growth. Fertilizer is not necessary, but it can assist in helping your tree to grow faster and produce more leaves, which are the source of your shade.

We hope this blog post was helpful! Remember, when it is time to trim or prune a new shade tree, CT Tree Trimming can help! Call and a certified arborist in Connecticut will visit your property, assess the tree and determine the best maintenance plan for its long-term health and growth.

Tree trimming is best left to trained professionals. It’s a dangerous job, climbing high up trees, using chainsaws and lowering heavy tree limbs to the ground; and it is sometimes dangerous for the tree too. Trees that aren’t pruned properly can suffer from a lifetime of damage.

Rather than putting yourself and the tree at risk, call someone who is trained and experienced to do it for you.

This will lead to much stronger trees and a safer environment surrounding your home for many reasons:

• Healthier trees are stronger and not as likely to cause damage during storms
• Cared for trees won’t attract or spread parasites and diseases
• Pruned trees grow more flowers or fruit
• Trimmed trees create shade and allow air to flow throughout their canopies and your property

CT Tree Trimming highly recommends pruning trees that are very close to your house or all that are an integral part of your property.

Is Tree Trimming Necessary?

It is not required. But it is beneficial. Trees are very strong and are able to survive on their own all over the world, in many different climates and locations, without trimming.

However, there are a lot of benefits of professional tree pruning, so it’s recommended for trees that you value. This can include sentimental trees, fruit trees and blossoming trees or trees that perform an important service for your home, such as shade or home to wildlife.

Tree Trimming Gone Wrong

Pruning a tree is a difficult task. You need the correct tools and a lot of information to guarantee the project is done right. The majority of homeowners don’t have any of these!

But that’s alright, because there are several arborists out there who know how to properly trim trees for an affordable price to you including all of the certified arborists in Connecticut we team up with!

Below are the 5 most common mistakes people make when they attempt DIY tree trimming that can lead to many tree problems. These are things that a trained arborist from CT Tree Trimming will know, and that’s the reason why their services are worth paying for!

Trimming Too Much

When done correctly, pruning is an ongoing process. Beginning when your trees are only 2 or 3 years old, they should be trimmed by a professional if you care about them and intend to keep them strong and healthy.

A big mistake that people often make when pruning trees by themselves is trimming too much of the tree at a time. This occurs because they let the tree’s growth get out of hand and try to correct it all at once. Ideally, you should not cut off more than 5-20% of the tree’s crown at a time. It is a lot easier to do this during a season that there are no leaves, but an experienced arborist will be able to properly trim trees any time of year.

Removing Bark from the Tree

When you cut a tree branch and gravity starts pulling it down, it can tear off bark from the tree trunk right along with it. This exposes the tree’s inner layers, putting the tree in danger of contracting diseases and making it easier for insects to scurry their way in.

To stop this from happening, an arborist makes special cuts underneath large branches before making their actual removal cut. Knowing how to place these small cuts takes pressure off the branch collar and lowers the stress at the exact point of the main cut so the branch doesn’t rip.

Cutting at the Wrong Place

An experienced arborist knows where to trim each limb to prevent damage. This cut should be made just beyond the branch collar, the exact place where the branch connects to the trunk.

Cutting too close to the branch collar exposes the tree to insects, decay and mildew. Cutting too far away from it leaves an unsightly stump when the tree recovers. Most DIY tree pruning leads to an improper cut, leaving either structural or aesthetic damage.

Pruning Big Branches

Branches larger than 4 inches in diameter shouldn’t be pruned unless it is necessary. Cutting off a branch of this size can result in imbalance in the tree and expose it to pests and rodents and decay as the tree recovers from such a large loss.

Conservative trimming once each year guarantees that the tree service company only has to remove branches that are 2-3 inches in diameter, which produces a more attractive shape for the tree and less risk of hurting the tree or exposing it to disease and insects.

Topping the Tree

Tree topping is an outdated type of pruning, and for good reason! In this process, arborists would just cut the top off of the tree to achieve the desired height. It was neither attractive nor was it beneficial for the tree, so the majority of tree care companies do not practice tree topping currently.

As a DIY tree pruning, you might think this is a good way to lower the height of your tree with only a single cut, but once you have cut off the top of a tree, there’s virtually no chance it will ever return to a natural shape.

The Solution? Call CT Tree Trimming

Here’s the truth. Your tree may never recover from bad pruning.

Doing this project yourself might seem like a good way to save a little money, but you might end up with way more expenses trying to revive damaged trees, so it’s a lot safer (and more economical in the long run) to hire a certified arborist in Connecticut from CT Tree Trimming.

Limbs aren’t going to grow back. The tree will grow more, but not in the same places, which can result in odd shapes that might take years to correct. The tree might end up looking bad for the rest of its life, all because of just one trimming error.

Bad pruning could also result in death of the tree. Removing too many limbs (and, therefore, leaves) can alter the tree’s photosynthesis process, which means it won’t get enough water or enough carbon dioxide and sunlight to continue growing.

Cutting too many branches might also send the tree into a state of shock. Shock can be overcome, but it does take a great deal of patience and care. Even with proper care, a tree experiencing shock may still die.

Avoid all of these tree trimming mistakes and call CT Tree Trimming to speak with a tree care specialist in Connecticut able to devise a plan to ensure your tree continues to blossom and look beautiful for years to come!

Trees are living organisms, so that means that they can become “sick” just like humans and animals can. A disease or other tree problem may take a while to show appear due to the overall size of the tree, and once symptoms become obvious, it could be too late to revive the tree.

A professional arborist from CT Tree Trimming can identify and treat common tree problems so that there is a much greater chance of saving the tree. Learn about our service here. Not only can an experienced arborist stop a tree from dying, but they can also help trees get more healthy growth and more flowers or fruit.

Have you noticed a tree on your lawn that has always seemed OK but all of the sudden looks like something is wrong? In the next section, we’ll describe some of the most typical tree issues and what these symptoms mean for a tree.

If you notice any of these things on any of your trees, act fast to have the best chance of saving the tree and the ones around it.

Tree Diseases & Common Problems

These 7 things are the most typical issues encountered by certified arborists in Connecticut. The moment you think one of these things is wrong with your tree, call someone with the training and tools to help!

Tree Diseases

Leaf Rust – Leaf rust is a fungus that is very common in both trees and plants. The name comes from the yellow and brown spots this disease creates on the leaves.

Leaf rust is bad because it inhibits the leaves’ photosynthesis, the process by which it breathes. Leaf rust can be tended to with fungicides and selective tree trimming of the affected leaves. It might be recommended to remove whole limbs with leaf rust.

Witches’ Broom – This tree disease creates a large clump of twigs, dead leaves and branches that look like a broom shape. It is caused by pests, unusually wet weather or fungus. The construction of a clump of twigs and leaves is the tree’s reaction to infection or harm.

Some instances of Witches’ Broom are deadly for the tree, others are just considered a growth malformation. A tree care specialist can tell you for sure.

Mildew – Mildew is a fungus that grows on just about anything in wet conditions, but even after the wet conditions are gone, mildew can persist and thrive. Mildew appears as a powdery texture, usually white, and it often shows up on the leaves of a tree first.

The the best method for eliminating mildew is to apply a fungicide that contains sulfur. This will treat the existing mildew and prevent future mildew on the tree. You might also need to trim the tree to remove limbs, fruit, flowers and leaves that have been affected by the mildew

Gall – Gall is a tree disease that happens when pests or rodents build small nests on the leaves or branches of a tree to lay their eggs in. Most types of galls are not harmful to the tree, but none of them are attractive.

Gall will appear as bumps on the tree, in a range of sizes. They can be white, brown, gray or some color in between.

You do not have to treat the tree for galls, but they can limit the growth of recently planted trees. Treat galls by killing the pests. You should also clean out from under the tree when the leaves fall off, because this is where the insects survive during winter.

Other Tree Problems

Poor Pruning – There’s a science to tree pruning, as well as many types, and if you don’t know how to do it, you could damage the tree past the point of recovery. Consider the type of tree, season and other factors. Under-pruning (or not pruning at all) can be just as big of an issue. Only a trained arborist should be trusted to trim trees to keep them healthy.

Lack of Water – Young trees can be significantly affected by drought. If you want to plant new trees, you will probably have to supplement the amount of water they get from rainfall. A tree that doesn’t get enough water will have its growth inhibited. The first sign you are likely to noticed is scorched, dry leaves. Find more tips for new trees here.

Too Much Sun – Do some research before planting trees in a full-sun area of your property. Many types of trees can handle it just fine, but too much sun can become a problem for any tree if the sun is too hot for an extended period of time and rainfall is light. A tree that is getting excessive sun needs extra water to fight against wilting, drooping leaves.

Certified Arborist Services in Connecticut

An experienced arborist from CT Tree Trimming will be able to quickly diagnose what’s going on with your sick tree and formulate a plan to rescue it.

Here are the things an arborist is qualified to do:

• Inspect trees from below and from the limbs of the tree if possible. Getting into the canopy is typically necessary to identify exactly what is creating the symptoms.
• Treat your tree with additives and fertilizers in the soil or products sprayed on the leaves. The arborist will have knowledge about the disease impacting the tree and the most effective treatments for it.
• Prune tree limbs to remove dead or damaged branches and to help healthy growth. Even if heavy pruning is needed, they will know how to cut off branches so that the tree can survive both the issue and the trimming.
• Remove the tree from your yard if there is no chance to save it. The worst case is that the tree is dying, and removing it is the only way to protect your property and surrounding landscape.

Arborists can also inform you about the trees that you have om your property and how to best maintain them so you don’t find yourself in the same situation in the future.

Many tree problems look similar to each other, requiring an expert eye to correctly identify and correct the issue. If your trees are looking dry, disfigured or dying, call a professional arborist from CT Tree Trimming for an inspection before it’s too late.

When it comes to the question, “What time of year is best for tree tree pruning?” The answer is sometimes indirect.

The type of tree will determine when many species are able to be trimmed, along with insect population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other species of plants and trees in the yard.

With the help of a professional arborist in Connecticut, you can decide what time of year is ideal for pruning your trees to set them up for success next season and every year after that.

Best Season to Trim Trees

Without any other context, CT Tree Trimming recommends pruning trees during the winter. This ranges from November to March in most areas. This season is best because the trees are mostly dormant, so pruning will lead to the least amount of damage, if any.

There are a lot of benefits to trimming trees during the winter:

Lower chance of pest damage and disease – Insects and plant diseases are mostly inactive in the winter in Connecticut. Throughout the rest of the year, anything from insects to fungus can affect a newly pruned tree because the tree will be the most vulnerable and these issues thrive when there is warmer weather.

Easier to determine the shape of the tree when there are no leaves – Leaves prevent your arborist from seeing the complete shape of the tree. When tree branches are bare, it is a lot easier to see diseased or dead limbs and branches that are touching versus those that are just close together.

Trees can heal before spring – By performing major pruning in the winter, your trees have many months to rebuild callus tissue on the ends of the remaining branch collar. By the spring season, you’ll barely be able to tell where the branches were removed, and the tree will be able to devote its energy to produce brand new leaves, fruit or flowers instead of healing new cuts.

Less chance of harming nearby landscape – Most of the surrounding trees and greenery will also be dormant, so there is less risk of damaging them. Most of the time, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the warmer seasons, but there are no plants to be disturbed during the winter since these annuals have already died out.

Do All Trees Need Trimming?

Yes, all trees benefit from annual pruning. Tree trimming every winter is good for trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your landscaping and your family and neighbors. Let us explain:

Pruning Makes the Tree Healthier

Dead and diseased branches are removed, as are stubs that are susceptible to pests and disease. Branches that can rub against each other are also pruned so they don’t weaken one another or create an open wound on the tree.

Trimming trees each year is also a good way to get expert eyes on your trees so that early warning signs of decay, disease and insect infestations can be identified and dealt with as soon as possible.

A Well-Maintained Tree Serves Its Purpose Better

When a tree is overgrown, it starts to be hard for water and nutrients to get to every branch. This can leave the tree looking scraggly and sick and definitely not doing what it’s meant to do.

Pruned trees, on the other hand, produce more fruit, healthier leaves and better shade. They are much fuller and healthier and less likely to cause landscaping issues. So regardless of why you decided to plant a new tree, routine trimming will maximize the results you desire from it.

Trees are More Beautiful After Trimming

If the view of your landscaping is important to you, tree trimming is a necessity! Pruning trees gives them an attractive, uniform shape and size. This is especially important if you have a lot of identical trees on your property.

Cutting off lower branches and upper branches that grow at awkward angles improves the overall look of the tree while also strengthening tree health.

Less Risk of Dropping Branches

Tree trimming – done the right way – encourages the remaining branches to grow stronger and healthier. Therefore, storms and high winds won’t affect your trees the same way they would an unkempt tree. Your home and family will be safer living under and around trimmed trees.

Another safety concern for large trees is that they impede the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree pruning, crown raising and other specialized tree care services will keep the tree at a good size and prevent it from blocking various views.

Call CT Tree Trimming for Tree Trimming

Working with a certified arborist in Connecticut gives you access to their knowledge on the subject of tree pruning. We recommend relying on their years of experience if you have trees on that you’d like to keep healthy for awhile.

An arborist doesn’t only consider the current situation. Instead, an experienced arborist will take the time to research your trees and understand their unique scenario (including their location and other factors that may put them at risk of disease or infestation). After collecting all of the information, an arborist will suggest a long-term plan based on your trees’ unique needs and stick to that course of action until the goals for your trees are met.

This plan could require years to implement, but rest assured, it will result in healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for many years to come.

This type of ongoing care will result in healthy tree growth, help your entire property resist plant diseases and enhance flower or fruit production from the trees. It will also fortify your trees so there is less risk of falling trees or limbs.

Being proactive about tree pruning will save you a lot of money over time as well. Preventative care is much more cost-effective than paying for emergency tree services, storm damage cleanup or restoring an ill tree from a disease that has spread out of hand (and one that was easily preventable).

If you care about the health of your trees and the curb appeal of your property, trust a certified arborist for tree pruning and maintenance from CT Tree Trimming. Find our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Connecticut. Call today!

Tree pruning in Connecticut is an important landscaping service that beautifies and reinforces trees so they are able to fight off pests, diseases and severe weather – and look wonderful while doing it!

Pruning must be completed if you want a healthy tree, but it has to be done very carefully by someone who knows what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from CT Tree Trimming. You may be able to prune trees safely while they are still small, but you also may do permanent damage to the tree.

To properly prune trees, you need to know all of the following:

• When to prune your species of trees
• How much of the tree should be trimmed at a time
• Where to cut each branch so you do not damage the tree

Pruning too much from a tree can kill it or result in structural damage, but precise trimming done each year benefits trees in a lot of ways. Pruning improves the appearance of trees, makes them stronger, eliminates dead or diseased limbs and assists in fruit or flower production.

For the best results, pruning must be performed annually, but as trees mature, you might be able to go two years between pruning services. Regardless of how regularly you have your trees pruned, ensure your arborist is qualified to do the type of tree pruning your trees need. This won’t be an issue if you call CT Tree Trimming in Connecticut!

Types of Tree Pruning Methods

There are 7 ways to correctly trim a tree so that it grows stronger and healthier every year.

Depending on the shape, species and health status of your trees, one method may be more effective than another, but each technique has distinct benefits.

Crown Thinning Your Trees

Crown thinning is common for larger, overgrown trees in Connecticut. This process removes weak branches within the crown to allow more light and air flow through the crown. Air flow is important for disease prevention.

This pruning technique also gets rid of branches and limbs that are touching so they do not rub up against each other and break or cause weakened areas that can be an access point for insects and pests. Branches that grow at odd angles are typically removed during crown thinning.

Crown Raising Your Trees

This pruning method removes branches at the lower part of the crown so new limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Allowing low branches to get too large makes them hard to cut off, and they can draw nutrients away from the top of the tree, which leads to less fruit and a weaker tree.

There are a variety of reasons you may decide to raise the crown of a tree. Frequently, it is done to clear the line of sight for automobiles and pedestrians, but it can be done to make space for landscaping under the tree.

It is a common method for overgrown trees that are too close to homes and buildings.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction reduces the total size of the tree’s crown from its outer edges. It shortens limbs horizontally and vertically to keep the tree at a certain size. By reducing the crown size, you can eliminate the need to cut down the tree because it won’t interfere with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.

Even if the tree isn’t close to structures like these, crown reduction can help the tree look neater because it eliminates irregular growth. This is a good solution for trees that are various ages but you want to look uniform.

Crown Cleaning

Sometimes referred to as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive trimming technique that eliminates dying, broken or diseased limbs so that the remaining sections of the tree can grow normally. These limbs can only create problems over time.

Crown cleaning makes the tree look a lot better, and it stops limbs from rubbing together. Plus it is a safety practice that reduces the risk of falling branches, since healthy branches rarely fall.

Crown Restoration

Crown restoration is an advanced trimming method for trees that have been severely damaged (either by weather or vandals). It must only be performed by a certified arborist who knows where the tree is going to grow over time and how long it’s restoration is going to take.

Unlike other tree pruning services, crown restoration occurs throughout an extended period of time with conservative pruning that reshapes the tree. An arborist will have a plan to restore the tree, but also must be flexible as the tree grows and reshapes on its own, adapting to the tree’s new growth.

Vista Pruning

If you want trees that increase curb appeal, you are actually interested in vista pruning. The purpose of vista pruning is to help to make the tree more aesthetically pleasing from a particular viewing point.

It entails many pruning techniques including crown thinning, crown reduction and crown cleaning – any technique that helps the trees look prettier. Remember, though, that a professional is not going to jeopardize the health of a tree, so the primary focus of vista pruning is still to maintain strong, healthy trees.

Espalier Pruning

Espaliered trees are heavily pruned to grow flat against a wall or a trellis. It is a different style of tree trimming that will attract a lot of attention to your lawn. Espalier pruning must be started when the tree is very young and then done consistently during the tree’s life span.

Benefits of espalier pruning include facilitating maximum sunlight to reach the trees, as well as making it much easier to produce fruit.

Professional Tree Pruning in Connecticut

Tree trimming can be harmful to a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! CT Tree Trimming highly encourages professional tree trimming over attempting DIY.

Aside from the possible dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of damage to a tree if you don’t know how to prune it correctly. Over-pruning is one of the most common errors made by homeowners maintaining their own trees.

Trees in Connecticut that get routine care from a professional are much better off, and hiring an experienced arborist from CT Tree Trimming to trim the trees on your property is a choice you won’t regret. Locate your town in our service area. We work with arborists throughout the entire state of Connecticut!

Planting a tree on your land has several benefits. Trees give summer shade, filter polluted air and increase curb appeal. Everyone should plant trees.

Once full-grown, trees are easy to maintain: another benefit! They are strong and tend to continue growing even with minimal care. However, if you want to help your trees reach their potential, they need a little more effort.

Lack of care for growing trees could cause rotting, disease, under watering or pest problems.

Fortunately, tree care isn’t very complicated, but you do need a little information to do it correctly. Research the new trees you plant to know exactly what they need to succeed. Then care for them and watch them flourish.

Here, we’ll outline the five best tips for planting a new tree and seeing it grow. You probably know the basics, so we’ll dive deeper and explain how to perform each step.

Tree Care Tips for New Trees

These five tips will not only help keep trees alive, they’ll help them to grow much faster, withstand damaging gusts of wind, fight off diseases ,insects and pests and create more leaves, flowers or fruit.

Water Your Tree

New trees need a lot more water than older ones. The trees you plant are no exception.

The root of the tree and the soil around it have to be kept moist, but don’t let it get too wet, because this might cause some of the roots to rot.

The rule of thumb is 4-10 gallons of water every week. This includes rain water, and although it’s hard to get an exact reading, a rain gauge can get you close enough to supplement the remaining gallons. Your trees need this much water for the first 2-3 growing seasons.

Mulch Around Your Trees

Mulch is more than an attractive lawn care product. It helps protect new trees, especially the roots underground. But laying mulch incorrectly can cause rotting and decay – so much so, that it’s possible that the new tree will not survive.

Place mulch 3 inches away from the tree trunk and spread it around to completely cover the ground underneath the longest horizontal branch. For new trees, this isn’t going to be very far, but as the tree grows, your mulch area will continue to grow as well.

Keep the mulch at least 2 to 4 inches thick in all areas. Be attentive in keeping it spread out consistently and far enough away from the trunk of the tree so it does not impede air flow around the tree trunk.

Fertilize Around Your Tree

Fertilizer provides many nutrients that your soil may not naturally have. Most young trees can benefit from fertilizing, but you need to use the correct products and do it at the right time in order for fertilizer to be most impactful.

The best time to fertilize is early spring. Sometimes early summer provides good conditions (comfortable temperatures and moist soil), but don’t count on it.

If you are unsure about which fertilizer to use, speak to a tree care specialist for advice. Slow-release fertilizers are usually a good idea because they feed trees over time rather than all at once.

Follow through with these tasks in the initial growing seasons after planting a new tree, and then reevaluate your watering, mulching and fertilizing as the tree grows larger. As time goes on, there will be additional tree care tasks that become more important for your young trees.

Trim Your Tree

Tree trimming is very important – but very challenging – in the initial years after planting a new tree. As the tree grows, you may see many little branches take off, trying to become the tree’s trunk. You may think this shows that the tree is healthy and growing well, but it can actually result in a weak tree in the future.

Early pruning helps to shape the tree into what it is going to ultimately look like when it gets much larger. As small branches emerge from the lower trunk, they have to be cut off so they don’t suck water and nutrients away from the branches at the top.

So long as there are trees growing somewhere on your property, they need to be trimmed routinely. When the trees get too big for you to trim them safely, you can count on CT Tree Trimming to do the job for you.

Monitor Your Tree

New trees are at the highest risk for damage, disease and insect issues. But you’re never truly safe from these things. As your tree grows older, monitor it carefully for evidence of disease or poor nutrition, including the following:

• Leaf color changing out of season, especially leaves turning brown or yellow
• Early leaf falling, despite whether these leaves appear healthy or diseased
• Withering, regardless of proper watering
• Individual branches or limbs dying
• Bark peeling off

These signals likely mean a health issue. The tree is likely going to need professional care if your plan is to save the tree. A certified arborist can typically diagnose the issue by just looking at your tree, although they will perform testing if deemed necessary.

If you determine the problem quick enough, you will likely be able to save the tree. Being proactive is the best way to protect new trees.

The steps above are basic but effective. Don’t underestimate the importance of the basics! When new trees have pruning, fertilizer and more,, combined with some sunshine and barring severe, damaging weather, the chances are good that they will survive and will look wonderful too!

Of course, you could already have a full schedule and don’t want to be responsible for these additional tasks. In most cases, property owners don’t have the ability to give their new trees the necessary maintenance.

No matter the situation, it’s ok to contact a professional for caring for new trees. A certified arborist in Connecticut can consult with you about the course of care for each tree species you plant on your property. Arborists enjoy sharing their expertise and skills with people planting brand new trees, and can make the difference between trees that struggle and trees thriving.

Call CT Tree Trimming now for information on routine tree care in Connecticut – including tree trimming – for newer trees and old trees. A local tree service can determine the best plan for your trees! Locate your city in our service area here.