Improving Energy Expenditures

Many people think of fall as the end of the growing season. When it comes to tree care, though, fall is a crucial time for setting your trees up for spring and summer success. However, it's only an ideal time when you take advantage of it and prepare your trees the right way. Here's a look at some of the things that you should do to help your trees thrive.

Prune With Intention

Fall is the perfect time to prune your trees because most of them are preparing to go dormant for the season. When you prune your trees with the intention to eliminate anything that's dead, damaged, or affected by any disease, it gives the tree a chance to heal from the pruning over the winter and then focus on fresh new growth in the spring. You'll also want to take time to shape your trees while you are pruning. If you're not comfortable shaping the canopy and trimming the trees down to a healthy, aesthetic shape, you can reach out to a local tree service for help. They can prune the trees for you.

Fertilize With Purpose

Just because your trees go dormant through the fall and the winter doesn't mean that they can't benefit from some nutrients. As you're preparing your yard for the upcoming winter, you should also plan to provide your trees with fertilizer to help them stay nourished through the winter. A slow-release fertilizer is the best option to continue adding nutrients to the soil all winter long. You could even have your soil tested by a local tree service first so that you know which nutrients are lacking. This can help you choose the right balance for the fertilizer.

Wrap and Mulch for Protection

Some trees are particularly sensitive to extreme temperatures and need more care to ensure that they survive winter's chill. You can protect the roots of your trees from repeated freezing and thawing by applying fresh layers of mulch around the diameter of the tree. Just make sure that you spread the mulch far enough out to cover all of the root system.

Additionally, some trees are prone to bark damage from the sun's reflection in the winter. You can protect your trees from this hazard by wrapping your trunks in protective paper now. It creates the barrier that you need to ensure that the bark isn't damaged by the brightly reflected winter sunlight. Reach out to a tree service near you today for more winterization tips for your trees.