Early spring is the time to perform extensive tree care. Most trees are still in their dormant phase, and the bareness of the trees makes routine maintenance easier. You’ll be able to see branches that are dying, dead, or crossing. You can also see if the center of the tree is too crowded to get enough air and sunlight. But proper tree care can also keep a tree from collapsing. Here is why.

Clearing Out the Canopy Prevents Sailing

Foliage can contribute to a sailing effect during high winds and storms. This can be a problem year-round for evergreens and a problem for deciduous trees during the summer and fall. The leaves actually behave like a sail that catches the wind. Depending on how powerful the wind is, this can tear the tree apart or actually tear it out of the ground.

Prudent Pruning Trains Saplings

Pruning and trimming saplings trains them to grow symmetrically. This prevents branches that are too weak or too heavy for the tree as it matures. Top-heavy and asymmetrical branches can take a tree down in high winds. Sometimes it might not even take wind to do this. Tree branches can snap off during ice storms or even heavy snowstorms.

Pruning Dead, Sick, and Weak Branches

Dead, weak, or sick branches are not only dangerous for the tree, but they are also the limbs that pose hazards when storms arrive. They can fall on and damage utility wires, the roofs of homes and garages, and people or pets.

Considering the Soil

Attention should not just be paid to your tree’s limbs and branches. The thawing soil also needs to be tended to. Spring rains can make the soil waterlogged and compacted, and this can weaken the roots. The way to fix this is to have your arborist install a drainage system and mulch around the roots.

Mulch controls both the moisture and the temperature, but the trick is to make sure that it doesn’t touch the crown, which is where the tree’s trunk meets the root. That can cause rot. Aeration can also control soil that’s been saturated by spring rain. Experts recommend that you aerate your soil a couple of days after a rain. This loosens the soil and lets air and nutrients reach your tree’s roots.

On the other hand, spring is the time to start to deeply water your trees. Deep watering causes the roots of your tree to descend into the soil, which keeps the tree stable. You can do this by hand or hire an arborist to install an irrigation system. When you have emergency tree issues in Santa Rosa, CA, contact TreePro Professional Tree Care.