Before the spring hits your step…take a couple moments while the sun is shining some afternoon and take care of your deciduous and evergreen trees with these 5 steps:

1.  Remove tree stakes.

Tree stakes work well to support a newly plant tree, however after 1 year they become a crutch and can harm the tree if left on to girdle the trunk.  

2.  Insert fertilize stakes.

If you would like to give your younger trees a lil spring boost, use a slow release fertilizer spike installed at the edge of where the root ball might lie.  This will encourage the roots to reach out towards the treat.   The amount of spikes required for your tree depends on the size and usually directions are listed with the product.  You can generally find the spikes at any store that sells fertilizer.

3.  Apply a fresh mulch ring.

Fresh mulch is good for a couple reasons:

• it will help maintain moisture for the tree
• the mulch should choke out grass that’s competing for the same moisture, if applied 3-4″ thick
• and it should keep the lawn mower/weed wacker at a distance

One important factor when applying additional layers of mulch is to not cover the root flare of the trunk.  This is a “bump” like feature on the base of the trunk.  If covered with mulch, the tree will slowly suffocate and die.  You may consider removing some of the old mulch if a fresh layer will interfere with the root flare.

Contrary to previous beliefs, it is NOT recommended to create a moat with the mulch around the base of the tree to retain water.  Water should be able to flow away from the tree and not be left to saturate the roots.

4.  Trim broken or dead branches.

Sometimes some branches just don’t make it through the winter, for reasons unknown.  This is typical with trees like Birches and Redbuds.  Now is a good time to trim the dead and broken branches to allow new growth to take its place. Make sure to trim close to to the closest living branch, removing all the dead or broken.

5.  Remove trunk wraps.

Trunk wraps work well to guard against the buck rubs and rabbits stripping the bark during the late fall through late winter.  However, the bark needs to breathe and the wraps should be removed once the snow starts to melt.  White or light colored wraps are recommended, the black colored tubing insulates the bark and causes cracking.

If you have specific questions about what wonders you’ve discovered under your snow piles…just let me know!  Love to help ya out!  Happy Planting!

Katie