This winter season is at its end, and trees are beginning to exit dormancy. This is the perfect time to inspect your trees and give them the care that they need before they fully awaken.
Throughout the cold months, much damage may have occurred. Some will be visible, while other types of internal damage may stay hidden. For this reason, the service professionals at Fast Tree recommend a thorough spring inspection of your trees, bushes, and plants.
These 3 spring tree care tips will help you give your trees a head start, detect issues, and get them under control before they become unmanageable or irreparable.
1 – Addressing the White Stuff on My Tree and Plant Leaves
A common disease known as powdery mildew has the appearance of a powder-like substance on tree and plant leaves. While this may seem to be a small problem, keep in mind that this appearance is due to millions of fungal spores which spread and infect trees easily on air currents.
How Do I Get Rid of Powdery Mildew? – Cut away and destroy (Do Not Compost) any part of a plant or tree that is infected. Follow up with the application of fungicides such as neem oil, lime-sulfur, or potassium bicarbonate.
2 – Diagnosing Dieback and Managing Dead Branches
Dieback occurs when a tree gradually deteriorates from the top down. This can be caused by drought, soil imbalances, or even insect infestation.
Throughout the seasons, many stressors will affect your trees. At times, they will result in the dying of a branch. This is very different from dieback, but the treatments are very similar.
How Do I Stop Dieback? – Saving a tree affected by dieback begins with determining and correcting the cause. The next step is to cut or trim back all of the dead parts of the tree. However, if the cause is a severe insect infestation, removing the tree altogether may be the only option to prevent the spreading of the infestation.
When Do I Remove Dead Branches? – Now. Dead branches should be removed immediately, during any season. They potentially pose a severe risk to nearby structures and if heavy enough, pose a threat to you and your family’s safety.
3 – How Do I Know If My Tree Has An Insect Infestation
As mentioned earlier, some problems are visible and easy to detect, while others are hidden. With a visible insect infestation, you will see the insects on the stems and leaves.
However, with boring insects like beetles, you are looking for holes in the bark, branches, and trunk (in some cases, you will see a small pile or mound of sawdust from the insect pushing it out of the hole.)
How Do I Treat An Insect Infestation? – Once you have confirmed an infestation, insecticides, horticultural oils, or insecticides should be used and applied immediately.
The more common of the options is the horticultural oil. This is a way to effectively and safely smother and kill boring insects. While this oil should be applied before the tree has begun to bud, killing the insects is the top priority at all times.
When oils are applied correctly and consistently, you will notice insects keeping away from your trees, shrubs, and plants. If you have a fruit tree in your garden, read this page fasttreeremovalatlanta.com/how-to-maintain-your-fruit-trees-this-spring for maintenance instructions and care tips.
Also, do not overlook, and be on the lookout for the root cause of the infestation. The insecticides will deter and kill the insects, but they will return when the deterrent wears off if not properly treated. Addressing the root cause of the problem will ensure a healthy yard and long-term solution for your plant or tree insect infestation.
When Do I Call A Professional Tree Service?
Whenever you suspect or detect a potential threat to your trees, it may be a good time to call in a tree service to help you properly assess and get things under control.
NOTE: What you may consider to be a total loss, may be saved by an arborist or trained professional.
Being proactive by scheduling regular tree and landscape inspections will help to avoid dead, dying, or diseased tree surprises. It will also leave you with a sense of security about the health of your trees and plants.
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