Tips On Tree Care
Certain trees will not live long if a fill of soil is laid over their roots, or if a terrace of blacktop, stone, brick or concrete paving blocks is laid over their feeding roots. Large, valuable trees should be protected with drain tile so that they will get water and air. The bark should be protected from dirt from a fill directly against it. You can buy metal tree wells, 3 to 7 feet across and 1 to 3 feet high, or build a masonry wall.
The wall can be capped with a circle of bricks or a low wall to make an extra seat on the terrace. If you have some surface other than sod or earth around the tree, see that it does not extend as far as the tree's outer feeding roots, and leave a circle of natural soil around the trunk. This can be planted.
Care for your trees as injuries occur rather than wait to call in a tree surgeon and allow a weakened spot to remain untreated. Remove all dead, decayed, diseased or injured bark. Do this by removing the entire limb, or, on a large limb or trunk, dig out the decayed matter, sterilizing and waterproofing the cut surfaces with creosote and liquid tar. White lead or paint are not as good to use as they will not seal when used on damp surfaces. Fill deep wounds with concrete. Use a pruning hook carefully, avoiding bruises.
Care of Evergreens
Evergreens tend to be adversely affected by hot, dry summer weather and should be watered every 10 to 14 days at this time. Be sure the water reaches the deep-root growth, at least 6 inches deep. A mulch of grass clippings or peat moss will also protect the tree from loss of water in dry weather.
Pruning in late spring before new buds appear seems to help an evergreen thrive. Prune so that the inner branches can develop and the tree or shrub is more compact. Formal trees can be kept trim, with no ragged branches sticking out, and badly shaped or deformed trees can be corrected through shaping. Evergreens are susceptible to "winterburn" from too much wind and winter sun, so that they dry up and their branches crack under the weight of snow or the force of wind.
A precaution is to water them deeply before the ground freezes in the late fall. They may also be protected in winter by screens of burlap or straw mats. Where wind and winter sun are not too strong, shielding only on the sunny side is necessary. Burlap boxes or covers should be well ventilated. Thin, tall shrubs or small evergreen trees may be tied with strips of cloth, so that the branches will not crack. Old trees with heavy limbs may be propped with boards to prevent breakage under heavy snow or ice.
Next Landscaping Article
Summertime brings hot weather. It is the time of year when we appreciate the shade of a big, beautiful tree. Trees provide other benefits, too. They can block the wind, help clean the air, provide fruit and nuts, and create a hospitable habitat for wildlife. And, trees make a great hideaway where. . .
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