An important factor in tree survival is providing the right amount of water. The first 3 years are most critical, buy pay attention to watering needs throughout the tree’s life.
How often and how much?
Frequency depends on soil drainage. Soils that drain quickly will require more frequent watering than those that drain slowly. The best way to know how often and how much to water, is to check the soil moisture at 6” below the surface. Water when dry.
First 3 years after planting: if the soil is dry, provide about 6L of water per diameter inch of the trunk.
All other years: Because soil type and weather conditions influence the demand for water, irrigation schedules and amounts vary.
Tree roots need oxygen. Soil saturated with water for more than 24 hours can prevent roots from getting oxygen. Therefore, watering too much is as dangerous as watering too little (and is harder to correct).
Where do I Water?
Water the area within the dripline of the tree. For large trees, focus watering on the area within 6 feet of the trunk and at the dripline.
When do I Water?
Start checking soil moisture and watering when necessary in early spring, and continue until the soil freezes. Watering in the morning is best.
Installing a Trunk Guard
Trunk Protection
Young deciduous trees have thin bark that can easily be damaged by animals and equipment (most commonly string trimmers and lawn mowers). Mulch does a great job of keeping grass (and therefore grass-cutting equipment) away from trunks, but rodents such as rabbits and mice like to chew on young bark (usually low on the trunk). Deer also scrape tree trunks with their antlers.
To prevent long-term damage associated with trunk wounding, install plastic tubing or hardware cloth (stiff wire fencing with ¼ - 1/2” mesh squares) around the trunk. The tube should be big enough around to allow 1-4” of space between it and the trunk. It should be 1-3’ tall (extending above the anticipated snow depth) for small rodents and as tall as possible for the deer.
How?
Wrap the tube around the trunk, taking care not to scratch the bark. Use a few pieces of wire to keep the tube closed. Push the tube into the ground or mulch less than an inch. Attach it to one or two stakes if necessary.
When?
At a minimum, the trunk should be protected during the winter moths (apply early in the autumn to prevent deer scraping). Protection can be applied anytime and left on all year round, as long as it does not touch the bark.
Your tree will grow. As the tree grows, the tube will need to be enlarged and eventually removed.
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Mulching
Maintain a ring of mulch around the tree (the wider the better). Organic materials like wood chips and leaves are best. Wood chips will take longer to break down and therefore, will not require replacement as often
Newspaper kills grass. If there is grass in the area that needs to be mulched, put a 5 page layer of newspaper over the grass, and then add mulch on top (this will help keep the grass from growing up through the mulch).
Mulch becomes soil. There should never be more than 4” of mulch over the roots. Too much mulch or soil can prevent oxygen from reaching the roots.
Fertilizing
Do not overdose. Fertilizer that is not absorbed by the tree has the potential to alter the soil or leach out and pollute groundwater, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Overdosing with fertilizer can harm your tree.
Applying ‘weed and feed’ to your lawn might injure or kill your tree. Some combination weed killers and lawn fertilizers will injure trees. Do not use anything that states it will kill broadleaved weeds (most deciduous trees are broadleaf). Preemergent herbicides are safe to use near trees.
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Checking Tree Health
Tree health can be difficult to determine, but checking your tree yearly may help you notice problems as they appear.
Is the current year’s growth much less than past years’ growth? Fast growth does not mean good health, but a dramatic reduction in growth rate may be an indication of poor health.
Look at the branch tips or tree top. Current year’s branches will typically be smaller in diameter and a different colour.
Also inspect the size, colour, and distribution of the leaves. Look at individual leaves as well as the whole crown for differences between branches or sections of the crown.
Inspect the base of the trunk for damage (e.g. from rodents or string trimmers).
Also inspect the base of the tree to see if there is a flat side to the trunk.
If anything is found, follow the guidance in the troubleshooting section.
Checking Tree Safety
Healthy trees can fall down. A tree may be green and lush, but that does not guarantee that it is structurally safe.
Inspect trees anytime, but especially after storms. Examine the crown, branches, trunk, and area around the roots for these common dangers:
If anything is found, or if in doubt, contact an arborist.
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Pruning
Pruning can be dangerous work. Follow these safety precautions to be sure you are around to enjoy your tree.
Electricity flows through branches. Never prune trees or branches that are within 10’ of utility lines; instead contact your local utility company.
Ladders and trees do not mix. If pruning cannot be done with both feet on the ground, hire an arborist.
Chainsaws cut limbs. If power equipment is required, hire an arborist.
The main reasons for pruning tress are safety, health, and esthetics. Pruning can encourage trees to develop a strong structure and reduce the likelihood of damage during severe weather.
Pruning for safety involves removing branches that could fall and cause injury or property damage, trimming branches that interfere with lines of sight on streets or driveways, and removing branches that grow into utility lines.
Pruning for health involves removing diseased or insect-infested wood, thinning the crown to increase airflow and reduce some pest problems, and removing crossing and rubbing branches.
Pruning for esthetics involves enhancing the natural form and character of trees or stimulating flower production.
Where to cut
Support the branch with one hand while you make the cut to prevent the bark from ripping. If the branch is too large to support, use the three-step method.
For the final cut, look for the branch bark ridge and trunk collar. Begin the cut just outside of the branch bark ridge, and angle down away from the trunk. Stay close to the trunk collar without cutting into it.
Pruning Tools
Bow saws can be used, but it is often difficult to fit the saw between branches to make the correct pruning cut.
How often do I prune?
Beginning 2 years after planting, prune lightly every year or every other year. After 10 years, frequency of pruning depends on the type of tree and amount of shade the canopy receives.
Do not remove more than 25% of the tree’s live branches (and therefore leaves) at any one time.
| Tree Type | First 10 Years | 10+ Years After Planting |
|---|
| Fruit Trees | Once every 1-2 years | Once every 1-3 years |
|---|
| Deciduous Shade Trees | Once every 1-2 years | Once every 4-7 years |
|---|
| Evergreen Trees | Only as needed (see note #1) | Only as needed (see note #2) |
|---|
note 1) Prune lightly and more frequently is better than pruning heavily and less often
note 2) Evergreen trees usually need pruning only if they are diseased or their branches need to be raised up from the ground. In either case, prune the entire branch off.
Removal of the following can be done every year:
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Time of year to prune
Winter is the best time of year to prune because branches are easy to see, diseases cannot be spread, and there is minimal stress to the tree. But for most trees, pruning can be done at any time. Exceptions are trees that are prone to fire blight or oak wilt.
Trees susceptible to fire blight include mountain ash, apple, crabapple, hawthorn and pear. Trees susceptible to oak wilt include most oaks.
To minimize disease infection of these types of trees, follow the pruning guidelines:
- Avoid pruning from the time that spring flowers emerge until leaves drop
- If pruning must be done on these tree types during disease-transmission times, sanitize pruning tools before each branch is pruned
- Use rubbing alcohol, or household bleach diluted 1:9 with water.
- Tools should be immersed in the solution, preferably for 1-2 minutes.
- Bleach is corrosive to metal, so tools should be thoroughly cleaned with soap and water after each use
Oak Wilt
- Avoid pruning from early spring through early summer
- If pruning must be done on oaks during disease-transmission times, immediately apply wound paint after the cut is made
Wound dressings are not necessary in any case. In fact, they may be harmful.
Pruning Your Trees
Pruning a young tree saves money. Removing small branches is fairly easy compared with waiting until limbs are large, when pruning can be costly and a bigger risk to the tree. Correctly pruning a tree when it’s young will help it develop strong, well-balanced crown. Prune to have the following:
Remember: do not remove more than 25% of the tree’s live branches (and therefore leaves) at any one time!
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Topping
(Also called stubbing, heading, tipping, hat-racking, dehorning)
Topping is not pruning. Topping is the indiscriminate removal of branch ends. Topping injuries and ultimately results in early failure or death of a tree.
If the end of the branch must be removed, cut it back to a side branch that is at least 1/3 (preferable 1/2) the diameter of the branch being cut.
Fact and Fiction
Fiction: Topping will make the tree easier to maintain.
Fact: Topped trees can regain their original height quickly, often in 2 years. A topped tree will require more attention than a properly pruned tree because of the fast growing, loosely attached shoots that form.
Fiction: Topping invigorates a tree.
Fact: Topping immediately injures a tree and starts it on a downward spiral. Topping wounds expose the tree to decay and invasion from insects and disease. While a tree may survive topping, its life span will be significantly reduced.
Fiction: Topped trees will add value to your property.
Fact: Topped trees lack natural beauty and may actually reduce your property values. Also, a topped tree can become hazardous and cause property damage, making it a liability.
Protecting Trees from Construction Damage
Are you planning to build or remodel a home? Are you going to expand or pave your driveway? Are your city’s streets, curbs, sidewalks, and buried utilities about to be widened, modernized, or replaced? Before construction begins, consider the impact on trees.
Careful tree protection will help you avoid the expense and heartache of later repairing or removing trees that were located too close to construction activities. Depending on the type of construction and proximity to trees, you may be able to protect the trees yourself, or it may be best to consult with an arborist to design, implement, and enforce a tree protection plan.
Start planning early. To minimize costs and increase the likelihood of successful tree preservation, start tree protection planning as soon as possible.
How close is too close? The tree’s protected root zone can be identified as follows:
The activities listed below all negatively impact tree roots. To protect your trees, define the protected root zone, and keep these activities away from this area, at a minimum
Storing materials and moving equipment
Soil compaction is one of the main killers of urban trees. Stockpiling building materials, using heavy machinery and excessive foot traffic all compact the soil. To minimize damage, install orange polypropylene or chain link fencing and post ‘off limits’ signs around the protected root zone of the trees you plan to save. Check the fence often to be sure that it is still intact and serving as a barrier.
Changing the grade
Adding or removing as little as 2” of soil in the protect root zone can kill a tree. To minimize damage, consult an arborist about methods to protect the roots if fill needs to be added or soil needs to be removed within the protected root zone.
Excavating
If utility or irrigation lines cannot be relocated outside the tree’s protected root zone, reduce root damage by requiring tunneling under the tree’s root system (instead of trenching through it). Specialized equipment that blows soil away from the roots using compressed air allows utilities to be placed with very little root damage. Otherwise soil tunneling equipment can be use, reducing root damage by up to 25% compared with trenching.
For all digging operations, insist that exposed roots be cut cleanly to promote quick wound closure and regeneration. Vibratory plows, chain trenchers, stump grinders, and hand tools do a better job at this than bulldozers and backhoes.
Avoid excavating during hot, dry weather; keep the plants well watered before and after digging; and cover exposed roots with soil, mulch or damp burlap as soon as possible.
Paving
To minimize damage, keep walkways at least 3’ from the anticipated mature trunk.
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Service and Repair
How to hire an arborist
You can find arborists listed in the phone book under Tree Service.
Ask the following questions when looking for an arborist
You could also ask:
Troubleshooting| If you see | Potential Cause | You Should |
|---|
| Trunk |
|---|
| A flat-sided trunk at the base of the tree | Encircling root restricting the flow of water and nutrients between the roots and the rest of the tree | Excavate to check for encircling root |
| Bark damage near the bottom of the tree | Rodent or string trimmer | Apply mulch and/or trunk guard to protect from future damage |
| An elm tree with liquid oozing from the trunk | Slime flux or wetwood | Not worry about health |
| Branches |
|---|
| An elm tree with bright yellow leaves on one or two branches | Dutch Elm Disease | Immediately call an arborist |
| Webs in the branches or webs covering the tips of branches | Fall webworm or Eastern Tent caterpillar | Not worry about health |
| Many branch tips snipped off and laying on the ground | Squirrel damage | Not worry about health |
| Black clumps on branches of a cherry tree | Black Knot | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Very little growth | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Hole in trunk or branches | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Leaves |
|---|
| Leaves sticky and covered with a black velvety coating (like soot) | Piercing, sucking insect and sooty mold | Not worry about health. Usually Aphids, hose down tree with water and apply an insecticidal soap or ladybugs |
| Leaves wilted | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Spots on leaves | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Small leaves | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Sparse leaves | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Yellow or brown leaves | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
| Holes in leaves | Insect feeding | Spray natural insecticide |
| Bumps on leaves | Many | Email Georgina Garden Centre or call local arborist |
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Other sources of help:
Arborists can provide good information about the health of your tree, and many communities have city foresters that may be of assistance as well as garden centres. In addition, some universities have a service for answering tree health questions.
In the Event of an Emergency
Large branch or tree on the ground
If it is near a downed utility line, do not go near the tree! Call the utility company. If it is in the street, contact the city/town. If it is in your yard, call an arborist to have it removed.
Tree or branches on utility line
Stay away from the tree! Call your utility company.
Branches broken, still hanging in the crown
Call an arborist to have the ‘hangers’ removed, and make clean cuts at a lateral branch or bud
Ice coating and weighting the branches
Stay in a protected area, out from underneath the branches. Some limbs may break. Once the ice is gone, check for safety, and call an arborist if necessary. Many branches return to their original state after severe bending.
Tree hit by vehicle
If possible, get the license plate number, name, and insurance information of the driver. Document the tree’s injuries with photographs. Contact an arborist to evaluate the damage.
Wounded trunk
Use a hand pruner to cut off any loose bark. Monitor health. Do not apply wound paint.
Chemical spill around tree
Call an arborist, asking for someone with experience in soil contamination.
Root severed
Photograph and call an arborist to assess safety and make treatments as necessary.
Flooding
Monitor the trunk to see if it begins to lean in one direction. Check the ground area around the roots to see if the soil or grass has lifted. If so, contact an arborist right away for a safety assessment. Monitor the tree’s health over time. It may take a year or more for symptoms to appear.
Lightning or storm damage
Call an arborist to assess safety and make necessary treatments.
Trunk nicked by lawn care equipment (weed trimmer or lawn mower)
Create a mulch ring around the tree to eliminate grass, or use a trunk guard. Talk to the operator of the lawn equipment and stress tree protection.
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Removal and Disposal
Removal of Whole tree
If you are removing a whole tree that is close to an electricity line, it is important to remember electricity flows through branches. If the tree or branches are within 10’ of utility lines, contact your local utility company for information on assistance in removal.
To remove a large tree, hire an arborist.
Disposing of debris
Have the arborist remove the wood for you, or, if you know someone that could use the tree for firewood, ask the arborist to cut and leave the wood in moveable pieces. You may also try contacting local woodworkers and technical schools to see if they would like the wood.
Insects and disease are hitch hikers. Many insects and diseases can be spread by moving firewood. To be safe, do not transport firewood to another town.
Trimmings
Check with your city or town for compost sites that accept tree branches and leaves.
Leaves
If you live in the city, keep leaves out of the street to avoid clogging storm sewers and polluting water (nutrients from leaves get leached into the storm drains, which typically lead directly to lakes and rivers). Leaves can be uesd as mulch around your trees and in your garden beds or take to your city/town’s compost site. Check with your city to find out if they will collect leaves left on the curb in the autumn.
Buying a new tree
Decide on the type of tree
If you would like a native tree for your area visit: Native Trees
Check for aboveground and belowground conflicts. Then examine these important factors:
- If within 25’ of overhead utility wires, choose a tree that will not get taller than 30’
Cold Hardiness
- Find your cold hardiness zone by visiting Hardiness Zone and scrolling down to Plant Hardiness Zone. Then select a tree with a number the same or less than your zone.
Soil Drainage
- Check how quickly water soaks into the ground by digging a hole 18” deep and filling it with water. Let it drain completely. Refill it with water, and time how long it takes for the water to drain.
- Less than 2 hours = very fast
- 18 hours or more = very slow
Soil pH
- Use a pH or get a soil test kit at your favourite garden centre.
Sun Exposure
- Is the area full sun, part sun or full shade?
- Full sun – more than 6 hours of sun
- Part sun – less than 6 hours (morning sun or late afternoon sun)
- Full shade – no sun
Also consider the warranty/guarantee that the nursery offers for your newly purchased tree.
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Select a high quality tree at Georgina Garden Centre
Transporting your tree
Do not lift by the trunk! Lift using the pot or the burlapped ball.
If your tree has leaves and will be sticking out the back of a vehicle, the tree should be bagged with a sheet, plastic or tarp.
Storing your tree until planting
Keep the soil moist to the touch. Store in a shadier spot.
- Sometimes even the north side of the house gets sun. Rising in the far north-east in the morning, it catches the north side and again from the north-west as it sets. Plants on the east and west side get at least six hours of sun in the summer, sufficient for all plants except the true sun plants.
Open Shade
- On the north side of the house, but open to the sky. Plants listed for light shade will do well.
Light Shade or Filtered Sunlight
- Dappled shade; light or shadow move with the sun, like under a Locust or Birch.
Medium Shade
- The north side of the house, further obstructed by overhead branches.
Deep Shade
- Permanent year-round shade from buildings and large evergreens and shade trees. Usually found in the older residential areas.
Dry Shade and Moist Shade
- Deep shade is often moist since it does not receive the sun’s heat, but it can be dry under large trees that take all available moisture.
Keep your receipts and guarantee in a safe spot so if you need to refer to it or return the tree if it dies within the guaranteed time, you know where it is.
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Reference
(2008, Nov) Forest Health Protection – Tree Owner’s Manual. US Forest Service. Retrieved August 14, 2009 from http://na.fs.fed.us/urban/treeownersmanual/index.shtm
