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Growing shade trees on your landscaping has many amazing benefits. Underneath a big shade tree is the perfect place for a backyard BBQ or for kids to spend time outside. It will also keep your home cooler during warmer months of the year.

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

TN 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 grow strong and healthy.

Planting Trees for Shade

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

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

Back Yard Shade Trees

Shade trees in the back yard are primarily for your own benefit. Next-door neighbors and passersby usually won’t be able to see these trees very much, so they can be purely for your enjoyment.

Besides just shade, these trees can create year-round color as well as some additional privacy from neighbors.

Here are a few popular choices:

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

If you have the space, a live oak is a great choice. Live oaks are considered the fastest growing shade trees, and are able to get very large. A mature live oak is able to grow up to 80 feet tall and up to 100 feet wide.

A lot of these back yard shade tree recommendations get very large, so you definitely want to do your research to determine if the tree is going to have enough space to reach maturity.

If there is not enough space, its root system can damage your fencing or home. You will also need to prune the tree every year to keep it manageable. A tree that is too big for its area will probably have to be removed, which is an inconvenient and sometimes expensive situation.

Front Yard Shade Trees

In the front yard of your home, 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 since they can be seen.

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

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

Red maple
River birch
Dogwood
White oak
Ginkgo tree

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

With options in mind, we encourage you to plant what you like. In truth, any type of tree can be a “shade tree.” Assuming the trees you choose are suitable for the weather in Tennessee, they will provide your home and landscaping with shade.

Benefits of Planting Shade Trees

The benefits of having shade for your home are numerous — and there are some that you maybe don’t typically think about.

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

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

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

Safety for Animals – If you enjoy bird watching or think chipmunks are cute, your trees can provide them all they will need to build a home, find nearby food and raise babies.

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

How to Care for Shade Trees

Maintaining shade trees is very simple as long as you’ve planted the right species for the climate in Tennessee. Healthy trees are strong and durable after a couple of years, requiring little attention or care.

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

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

Planting Your Shade Tree

The east, west and south sides of your yard always get the most sun, so plant your trees on one of these sides 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 maximum amount of sun for healthy growth.

Trimming Your Shade Tree

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

Watering Your Shade Tree

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

Fertilizing Your Shade Tree

Fertilize a shade tree the same way you would any other tree in order to promote growth. Fertilizer is not necessary for caring for a shade tree, but it can help your tree to grow faster and produce more leaves, which are the primary source of your shade.

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

Tree pruning is best left to the pros. It’s a dangerous job, climbing trees, using chainsaws and lowering heavy branches to the ground; and it is sometimes dangerous for the tree too. Trees that aren’t pruned the right way can sustain a lifetime of issues.

Rather than putting yourself and the tree at risk, find a professional who is knowledgeable and experienced to do the job for you.

This will lead to much healthier trees and a safer environment near your house for many reasons:

• Healthy trees are sturdier and less likely to cause damage during severe storms
• Maintained trees don’t attract or spread parasites and diseases
• Pruned trees grow more flowers or fruit
• Pruned trees offer shade and allow air to flow through their canopies and your landscaping

TN Tree Trimming strongly suggests trimming trees that are near your house or all that are a focus of your landscape.

Is Tree Trimming Necessary?

It is not necessary. But it is important. Trees are very strong and survive on their own all over the world, in various different climates and regions, without pruning.

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

Tree Trimming Gone Wrong

Tree pruning is a complex task. You are going to need the right equipment and a lot of knowledge to ensure the project is done correctly. The majority of homeowners don’t have any of these!

But that’s OK, because there are several companies out there who know how to correctly prune trees for an affordable cost to you including all arborists in Tennessee we partner with!

Below are the 5 mistakes people make when they attempt DIY tree pruning that can lead to several tree problems. These are things that an experienced arborist from TN Tree Trimming will know, and that’s exactly why their services are worth paying for!

Pruning Too Much

When done correctly, tree pruning is a never-ending process. Beginning when your trees are just 2 or 3 years old, they should be maintained by a professional if you value them and desire to keep them healthy.

A huge mistake people often make when pruning trees by themselves is trimming too much of the tree all at once. This happens because they have let the tree’s growth get out of control and try to fix it all at once. Ideally, you should only cut off 5-20% of the tree’s crown at the final removal cut. It is a lot easier to do this during a season that the leaves are off, but a certified arborist will be able to properly prune trees any time of year.

Cutting at the Wrong Place

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

Trimming too close to the branch collar exposes the tree to decay, mildew and pests. Cutting too far from it leaves a stump when the tree has recovered. Most DIY tree pruning leads to an improper cut, leaving either aesthetic or structural problems.

Pruning Large Branches

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

Conservative pruning once each year ensures that the tree service company only has to cut off branches that are 2-3 inches in diameter, which produces a more attractive shape for the tree and less risk of harming the tree or exposing it to decay and pests.

Topping the Tree

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

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

The Solution? Call TN Tree Trimming

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

Performing 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 much safer (and more economical in the long run) to hire a certified arborist in Tennessee from TN Tree Trimming.

Limbs aren’t going to grow back. The tree will grow more, but it will not grow back in the same places, which results in odd shapes that might take years to correct. The tree might look bad for the rest of its life, all because of just one trimming mistake.

Improper pruning could also lead to death of the tree. Cutting off too many limbs (and, therefore, leaves) can alter the tree’s photosynthesis process, meaning it won’t get enough water or enough sunlight and carbon dioxide 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 care and patience. Even with proper care, a tree experiencing shock may still die.

Avoid all of these tree trimming mistakes and call TN Tree Trimming to speak with a tree care specialist in Tennessee able to come up with a plan to ensure your tree continues blossoming and looking beautiful for years to come!

Trees are living things, so that means that they can get “sick” just like people and animals can. A disease or other tree issue might take a while to show itself due to the sheer size of the tree, and once you notice a symptom, it could be too late to revive the tree.

A professional arborist from TN Tree Trimming can identify and treat tree issues so that you have a much better chance of saving the tree. Learn about our service here. Not only can an arborist help to keep a tree from dying, but they are also able to help trees get healthier growth and bloom more flowers or fruit.

Have you noticed a tree on your lawn that has always seemed healthy but all of the sudden looks like something is wrong? In the next blog post, we’ll explain some of the most common tree issues and what these symptoms mean.

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

Tree Diseases & Common Problems

These 7 things are the most typical problems encountered by experienced arborists in Tennessee. As soon as you think one of these things is wrong with your tree, contact someone with the knowledge and tools to help!

Tree Diseases

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

Leaf rust is dangerous 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 diseased leaves. It may be recommended to remove entire branches with leaf rust.

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

Some instances of Witches’ Broom are deadly for the tree, while others are only considered a growth malformation. An arborist can diagnose the issue.

Mildew – Mildew is a fungus that grows on almost anything in wet conditions, but even after the moist conditions are over with, mildew can continue to thrive. Mildew usually appears as a powdery texture, usually white, and it often appears on the leaves of a tree first.

The the best method for eliminating mildew is to apply a fungicide that includes sulfur. This will eliminate the current mildew and help to stop 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 type of tree condition that appears when insects build small nests on the leaves or twigs of a tree to lay their eggs in. Most types of galls are not harmful to the tree, but they are not attractive.

Gall will appear as bumps on the tree, in different sizes. They can be white, brown, gray or some shade in between.

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

Other Tree Problems

Incorrect Trimming – There’s an art to tree pruning, as well as many types, and if you aren’t sure how to do it, you could damage the tree beyond recovery. Consider the type of tree, season and other factors. Under-pruning (or not pruning at all) is just as big of a problem. Only a certified arborist should be trusted to prune trees to keep them healthy.

Lack of Water – Young trees can be significantly impacted by drought. If you decide to plant new trees on your property, you will probably have to supplement how much water they get from rainfall. A tree that doesn’t get enough water will have its growth inhibited. The first symptom you are likely to see is scorched, dry leaves. Find more tips for new trees here.

Too Much Sun – Do some planning before planting trees in a full-sun area of your property. Many types of trees can handle it without issue, but too much sun can become a problem for any tree if the sun is harsh for a long period of time and rainfall is light. A tree that is getting too much sun needs extra water to fight against wilting, drooping leaves.

Certified Arborist Services in Tennessee

An experienced arborist from TN Tree Trimming will be able to quickly identify what’s happening with your sick tree and put together a plan to rescue it.

Here are the things an arborist is trained to do:

• Review trees from below and from the branches of the tree if necessary. Getting into the canopy is typically necessary to understand exactly what is leading to the symptoms.
• Treat your tree through fertilizers and additives in the soil or solutions 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 get rid of dead or damaged branches and to encourage healthy growth. Even if heavy trimming is necessary, they will know how to remove branches so that the tree can survive both the problem and the trimming process.
• Remove the tree from your lawn if there is no chance to save it. The worst case scenario is that the tree is too far gone, and cutting it down is the only choice to protect your home and surrounding landscape.

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

Some tree problems look similar to each other, requiring a professional eye to correctly diagnose and treat the issue. If your trees are looking dry, unhealthy or disfigured, call a professional arborist from TN Tree Trimming for an inspection before it’s too late.

When it comes to the question, “What season is best for tree tree pruning?” The answer will likely be indirect.

Tree type will dictate when many species can be pruned, along with pest population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other species of plants and trees in the landscape.

With the guidance of a professional arborist in Tennessee, you will be able to decide which time of year is ideal for trimming your trees to prepare them for success next season and beyond.

Best Season to Prune Trees

Without any other information, TN Tree Trimming recommends trimming trees during the winter. This ranges from November to March in Tennessee. This season is ideal because the trees are typically dormant, so pruning will lead to the least amount of harm, if any.

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

Lower risk of pest damage and disease – Insects and plant diseases are usually inactive in the winter. Throughout the rest of the year, anything from insects to fungus can harm a newly pruned tree because the tree will be the most susceptible and these issues are more common in warmer weather.

Easier to see the shape of the tree when there are no leaves – Leaves stop your arborist from seeing the overall shape of a tree. When tree branches are bare, it is much easier to identify dead or diseased branches and branches that are touching versus those that are just too close to each other.

Trees can heal before spring – By doing this major tree trimming during the winter, your trees will have several months to rebuild callus tissue on the tips of the remaining branch collar. By spring season, you’ll hardly be able to tell where the branches were trimmed, and the tree will be able to devote its energy to produce new, healthier leaves, fruit or flowers rather than healing new cuts.

Less chance of damaging nearby landscaping – Most of the surrounding trees and plants will also be dormant, so there is a lower risk of them. Many times, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the spring and summer, but there are no plants to be disturbed in the winter since these annuals already died out.

Do All Trees Need Trimming?

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

Pruning Makes the Tree Healthier

Dying and diseased limbs are cut off, as are branch stubs that are prone to pests and disease. Limbs that can rub one another are also pruned so that they don’t weaken each other or cause an open wound on the tree.

Pruning trees each winter is a good way to get expert eyes on the health of your trees so that early signs of decay, disease and pest problems can be identified and handled as soon as possible.

A Cared-For Tree Serves Its Purpose Better

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

Pruned trees, on the other hand, blossom more fruit, healthier leaves and offer better shade. They are fuller and healthier and less likely to create landscaping problems. So regardless of why you decided to plant a new tree, pruning each winter will maximize the results you desire from it.

Trees are More Attractive After Trimming

If the view of your yard or landscaping is important to you, tree pruning is important! Trimming trees gives them an attractive, uniform size and shape. This is very important if you have a lot of identical trees on your property.

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

Less Chance of Dropping Branches

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

Another safety issue for large trees is that they block the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree trimming, crown raising and other certified tree care services will keep the tree at a manageable size and prevent it from blocking various views.

Call TN Tree Trimming for Tree Trimming

Working with a professional arborist in Tennessee gives you access to their expert knowledge on tree trimming. We highly recommend relying on their expertise if you have trees on that you’d like to keep healthy for a long time.

An arborist doesn’t only consider the immediate situation. Instead, an arborist will take the time to inspect your trees and study 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 the trees’ unique needs and stick to that course of action until your goals for your trees are met.

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

This type of ongoing care will aid in healthy tree growth, help your entire property fight off plant diseases and increase fruit or flower production from trees. It will also strengthen your trees so there is not as much risk of falling trees or limbs.

Being proactive about tree pruning will save you a lot of money over time too. Preventative care is much more cost-effective than the cost of emergency tree services, storm damage cleanup or restoring a sick tree from a disease that has gotten 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 trimming and maintenance from TN Tree Trimming. Discover our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Tennessee. Call now!

Tree pruning in Tennessee is an important professional service that can beautify and reinforce trees so they will withstand insects, diseases and inclement weather – and look good while doing it!

Pruning should be performed if you want healthy trees, but it must be done properly by someone who has experience in what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from TN Tree Trimming. You may be able to prune trees safely while they are still small and developing, but you also may be doing irreparable harm to the tree.

To safely prune trees, you must know all of the following:

• When is the best time to prune your types of trees
• How much of the tree can be pruned at at once
• Where to cut the branches so you do not harm the tree

Taking too much from a tree can kill it or cause structural damage, but precise pruning done each year benefits trees in many ways. Pruning helps to improve the appearance of trees, makes them stronger, eliminates dying or diseased portions and expedites fruit or flower production.

For the best results, pruning should be completed every year, but as trees mature, you may be able to wait two years between pruning services. Regardless of how often you have your trees pruned, ensure your arborist is qualified to perform the type of tree pruning your trees need. This won’t be a problem if you call TN Tree Trimming in Tennessee!

Types of Tree Pruning Methods

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

Depending on the shape, species and health problems of your trees, one method might be more effective than another, but each technique has various benefits to consider.

Crown Thinning Your Trees

Crown thinning is popular for older, overgrown trees in Tennessee. This process removes weak branches within the crown of the tree to improve light and air flow throughout the crown. Air flow is important for disease prevention.

This tree pruning method also removes branches that are touching so they no longer rub up against each other and break or create weakened areas that can be an entry point for insects and pests. Limbs that grow at strange angles are usually cut off during crown thinning.

Crown Raising Your Trees

This tree trimming technique removes branches and limbs at the lowest part of the crown so new limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Letting low branches get too large makes them very hard to cut off, and they can pull nutrients from the top of the tree, which leads to less fruit and a weak tree.

There are many reasons you might decide to raise the crown of a tree. Many times, it is done in order to clear the line of sight for automobiles and pedestrians, but it can also be done to free up space for landscaping under the tree.

It is a common technique for overgrown trees that are close to homes and other buildings.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction reduces the total size of the tree’s crown from its exterior edges. It shortens limbs horizontally and vertically to keep the tree at a certain size. By reducing the crown size, you can remove the need to cut down the tree because it will no longer interfere with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.

Even if the tree isn’t close to structures like those listed above, crown reduction can make the tree look much better because it also eliminates irregular growth. This is a smart idea for trees that are a variety of ages but you want to look uniform.

Crown Cleaning

Sometimes referred to as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive type of trimming technique that gets rid of dead, snapped or diseased branches so that the remaining sections of the tree may continue to grow normally. These limbs can only cause problems later.

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

Crown Restoration

Crown restoration is an intense trimming method used on trees that were significantly damaged (either by pests or weather). It should be performed by a certified arborist who knows where the tree is likely to grow over time and roughly how long it’s restoration will take.

Unlike other tree trimming services, crown restoration occurs during a longer time period with conservative pruning that reshapes the tree. Your arborist should have a plan to restore the tree, but also must be flexible as the tree grows and reshapes on its own, working with the tree’s new growth.

Vista Pruning

If you want trees that increase curb appeal, you are probably interested in vista pruning. The intent of vista pruning is to make the tree more visually pleasing from a particular vantage point.

It encompasses several 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 sacrifice the health of a tree, so the primary focus of vista pruning is still to create strong, healthy trees.

Espalier Pruning

Espaliered trees are pruned heavily to grow flat against a wall or a trellis. It is a different style of pruning that is sure to attract a lot of attention to your yard. Espalier pruning should begin when the tree is young and then done routinely throughout the tree’s life span.

of espalier pruning include facilitating maximum sunlight to get to the trees, as well as making it much easier to harvest fruit.

Professional Tree Pruning in Tennessee

Tree pruning can be harmful to a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! TN Tree Trimming highly recommends professional tree trimming over DIY.

Aside from the dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of damage to a tree if you don’t trim it properly. Excessive pruning is one of the most common errors made by homeowners trimming their own trees.

Trees in Tennessee that get routine care from a professional are usually much better off, and hiring an experienced arborist from TN Tree Trimming to prune the trees on your property is a decision you won’t regret. Locate your city in our service area. We work with arborists across the entire state of Tennessee!

Planting a tree on your property has many benefits. Trees give much-needed summer shade, create privacy, filter polluted air and increase curb appeal and property value. Everyone should plant trees.

Once full-grown, trees are simple to care for: another benefit! They are hardy and tend to continue growing even with minimal care. But, if you want to see your trees achieve their full potential, they need a little more effort.

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

Fortunately, caring for trees isn’t too complicated, but you do need some tips to do it right. Familiarize yourself with the trees you plant in order to know what they need to succeed. Then care for them and watch them bloom.

Here, we’ll list the five best practices on how to plant a new tree and seeing it thrive. You likely know the basics, so we’ll dive deeper and lay out how to complete each step correctly.

Tree Care Tips for New Trees

These tips will not only help keep trees alive, they’ll help them to grow faster, resist damaging winds, fight off diseases and pests and produce more leaves, buds or fruit.

Water Your Tree

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

The root of the tree and the soil all around it have to be kept moist, but don’t let it get soaked, because this can cause the roots to rot.

The general rule is 4-10 gallons of water each week. This includes rain water, and although it’s hard to have an exact reading, a rain gauge can get you close enough to add 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 actually helps protect new trees, especially the roots underground. But laying mulch the wrong way can sometimes lead to rotting and decay – so much so, in fact, that the tree will not survive.

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

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

Fertilize Around Your Tree

Fertilizer provides nutrients that your land’s soil might not have naturally. Most young trees benefit from fertilizing, but you have to be using the right products and doing it at the right time for fertilizer to be most impactful.

The ideal season to fertilize is early spring. Sometimes early summer also provides the right conditions (mild temperatures and moist soil), but don’t count on it.

If you aren’t sure about which fertilizer to use, consult a tree care specialist for advice. Slow-release fertilizers are typically a good idea because they feed your trees over time rather than all right away.

Follow through with these things in the first growing seasons after planting a tree, and then reconsider your watering, mulching and fertilizing needs as the tree gets older. As time goes on, there will be additional tree care projects that become more important for your young trees.

Trim Your Tree

Tree pruning is very important – but very challenging – in the first years after you plant a new tree. As the tree grows, you will start to see several little branches take off, attempting to become the trunk of the tree. You may think this means that the tree is healthy and growing well, it can actually lead to a weak tree in the future.

Early trimming shapes the tree into what it will look like when it gets much larger. As tiny branches emerge from the lower trunk, they must be removed so they don’t pull water and nutrients from the upper branches.

So long as you have trees growing somewhere on your property, they need to be trimmed routinely. When the tree gets too big for you to prune them safely, you can rely on TN Tree Trimming to do it for you.

Monitor Your Tree

Young trees are at the highest risk for damage, disease and insect problems. But you’re never truly safe from these things. As your tree gets older, watch it closely for signs of disease or bad nutrition, including the following:

• Leaf color changing out of season, with leaves turning yellow or brown
• Early leaf falling, regardless of whether these leaves appear healthy or sick
• Withering, regardless of adequate watering
• Individual limbs dying
• Bark peeling

These signs likely mean a health issue. It is likely going to need professional maintenance if your plan is to keep the tree alive. A certified arborist can usually identify the problem by simply looking at your tree, although they will perform testing whenever necessary.

If you discover the problem quick enough, you will probably be able to save the tree. Being proactive is the best course of action to protect your growing trees.

The steps above are simple but effective. Don’t underestimate the importance of the basics! When your new trees have proper care, combined with some sunshine and barring severe, damaging weather, the odds are probable that the tree will survive and will look beautiful!

Of course, you may already have a lot on your plate and don’t want to take on these additional tasks. In many cases, homeowners don’t have the ability or the tools to give their new trees the necessary maintenance.

No matter the situation, it’s ok to seek the help of a tree company for the care of new trees. A professional arborist in Tennessee can consult with you about the best course of care for each type of tree you plant. Arborists love sharing their knowledge and skills with homeowners planting new trees on their land, and can be the difference between trees that struggle and trees thriving.

Call TN Tree Trimming now for information on routine tree care in Tennessee – including tree pruning – for new trees and older trees. A local tree service will determine the best plan for your trees! Locate your city in our service area here.