Maintaining trees is an important job that’s often overlooked in the bustle of other spring cleaning and planting tasks. Properly preparing your trees for the upcoming season will help your trees enjoy a beautiful bloom and optimal growth through the spring and summer. Here are a few simple ways you can prepare your trees ready for the season ahead.

Give Your Trees a Check-Up

Before you can create a well-rounded plan for outdoor maintenance, you’ll need to assess the current condition of your trees. It’s best to do this early in the season before your trees begin to bloom. Look for:

• Limb damage from ice or storms.
• Lesions on branches.
• Discoloration.
• Areas of dead bark.
• Fungi or pests.

If you’re unsure about the health of your trees, consult a tree maintenance professional. Dead trees will likely need to be removed. If you know that a tree is dead and fail to remove it, some insurance companies will refuse to pay for any damage the tree may cause.

Clean Up Your Yard

Clear away fallen branches, leaves, and other debris that may have accumulated over winter. If you hung lights or other holiday decorations from your trees, remove them before spring. Leaving these types of decorations up can damage the tree, particularly if you have lights wrapped around the trunk or branches of the tree. Pay special attention to the ground around the base of your trees and rake away accumulated debris so the ground is clean to promote proper growth.

Water, Mulch, and Fertilize

Trees need a hearty drink when coming out of winter and gearing up for the hot summer months. Water your trees thoroughly. Adding a layer of mulch around the base of your trees will help seal the moisture while protecting the area from weeds. Add mulch as needed so your trees have about three to four inches around the base. Keep the mulch on the ground surrounding the tree, and don’t pile it up against the trunk. Apply a complete slow-release tree fertilizer around your trees for an added boost of nutrients. 

Prune Mindfully

It’s best to prune a tree before it starts turning green in the spring. Pruning while the tree is dormant will help prevent disease. Prune away dead, damaged, or diseased parts of the tree before the leaves come on so you can get a better view of your work. It is also a good time to shape the tree. You might remove branches on some parts of the tree to prevent crowding.

Beware of over-pruning. If you prune your tree too much, you might inhibit growth and limit its blooming potential. You may want to hire professional tree maintenance services for this task to ensure that the job is done right.

Taking care of and preparing your trees can be challenging, especially if you have large trees that require pruning or removal. If you’re in need of Dallas tree maintenance services, we can help. Our expert team at Texas Trees offers tree fertilization, pruning, removal, and more.