In the Cleveland area, we are lucky enough to experience all four seasons, including many people’s favorite- autumn. If you have lots of trees and shrubs on your lawn, then you’re extra lucky because you get to see the beauty of all the leaves turning extraordinary colors! In order to help your trees look as stunning as possible, it’s a great idea to reach out to Kirtland Hills tree service companies, like VanCuren Tree Service.
Many people may not know this but the fall is a great time to prepare trees for the coming winter and spring seasons. This is because carrying out treatments like pruning in the fall can boost a tree’s stamina during the winter and help it grow better in the spring. It is important to take good care of your trees during this seasonl because this can prevent problems like breaking and splitting branches due to ice and snow accumulation, or damage caused by animals chewing or rubbing against the trees.
Fertilize trees and shrubs to help with root development. This is important because the roots grow during the fall season. These roots store nutrients during the fall that will be used in the spring when other parts of the tree flourish, like shoots, leaves, and flowers. When you fertilize in the fall, it will help maintain nutrient levels in the soil as well as increase root production.
Prune dead, broken, and diseased branches. It is easier to prune trees after the leaves have fallen from them because then you can clearly see which branches need pruned.
Check for structural weaknesses. If there are any weaknesses, you may have to install cables or braces to help fix the problem. Just like pruning, wait until leaves have fallen to do this because the foliage is not obstructing your view of the tree. It is easier to find defects and judge distances and angles.
This is a great time to add more mulch to the landscape as well. This will give root systems an extra layer of warmth. It is recommended to stop watering trees in the fall because this can allow them to enter a transition phrase and does not cause new growth that would be too weak to survive the winter. Once leaves fall, you can water your trees one last time before the ground gets too hard and cold to allow water through to the roots. Sometimes it can be helpful to water occasionally during the winter, if the weather and temperature permit, especially for young trees. Make sure to water when the soil and trees are cool, but not frozen.
The fall can also be a great time to plant some new trees because the cooler conditions help stimulate root growth in these young trees. In fact, most deciduous trees produce pigments called anthocyanins in the fall. Anthocyanins cause the change in color and it can also lower the freezing point in leaves, making them stay on the tree longer. Because of this, the amount of nutrients and energy absorbed by the tree also increases before the tree becomes dormant for the winter.
The reason leaves fall from the trees and cover our lawns in the fall is because the harsh winter conditions would damage the leaves and cause the tree to use too much energy by trying to repair the damage or replacing broken leaves. This is similar to why animals hibernate in the winter. It’s a good idea to rake leaves into piles away from the bases of trees so they do not clog the landscaped areas. Letting them clog the landscape can stop the soil from allowing water and other nutrients in.
Taking good care of your trees in the fall can help set them up for beauty and success in the following seasons. As always, if you are unsure of where to start, tree care services in the Kirtland Hills area, such as Vancuren Tree Service, can help you take care of your autumn trees and leaves, and also all year round.
