Autumn Tree Care To-Do List

In your childhood, you might have played with fallen leaves and admired the changing colors of tree leaves in autumn – and, probably, you still do!

But it is only as a Dallas-Fort Worth homeowner and gardener that you can truly appreciate how magical the autumn months are.

This critical time of the year is ideal for enjoying the warmth trailing behind the summer season, observe wildlife such as howls and hedgehogs finding shelter among the fallen leaves, and admire the stunning beauty of your autumn trees.

Nonetheless, fall is also a crucial season to winter-proof your trees, prepare your garden for spring, and implement tree disease management and prevention strategies. Offered by the expert ISA-certified arborists at TreeNewal, the autumn tree care to-do list below can help you tend your fall garden with confidence – get started today!

Keep An Eye Out For Pests and Diseases

Summer is a month of growth and bloom for your garden – but it is also the time of the year with the best temperatures for disease proliferation!

Some fungal diseases that might affect your trees – including rust, leaf spot, and anthracnose – spread and thrive in hot and humid summer weather. These diseases can cause symptoms such as yellowing, spotted, and falling leaves.

If you are unsure whether your plant has been affected by these diseases, you should immediately consult local professional tree care experts.

In the meanwhile, dispose of diseased leaves and don’t add them to your compost pile. This simple technique is all you need to prevent the spread of overwintering spores, insects, or pest populations.

Replenish The Soil’s Vital Nutrients With Fertilizer

The hot and arid summer climate can have severe consequences on the soil’s quality. At the end of the summer, it is not uncommon for the soil to be stripped of all essential nutrients, which provides an inadequate base for your trees’ growth.

Additionally, among its many consequences, climate change affects soil quality in several ways, from reducing soil moisture to boosting desertification.

At the same time, your trees need loads of nutrients to thrive through the winter months.

So, it would help if you put in place a watering and fertilizing routine that replenishes the soil’s lost nutrients and moisture. Some great ways to do so include using slow-release fertilizers, compost, and the same leaves that have fallen from your plants!

Make Sure Your Trees Are Hydrated

Overwatering and underwatering are among the most common causes of plant death. Yet, understanding the watering needs of your plants during the winter months can be challenging!

Luckily, you can leverage the warmth of autumn to give your plants one last gulp of water before the temperature drops, the ground freezes, and the winter settles in.

For this, the best option is to use subsurface irrigation techniques. If you don’t have a subsurface watering system in place yet, you could use an injection probe to disperse water across the top 12in of soil.

You can understand more of subsurface watering techniques in the video below – but remember that consulting a tree care specialist can help you find a tailored solution for your trees and shrubs!

Time To Add New Trees and Shrubs To Your Garden!

Summer and springs are seasons of vitality and growth – but most of the planting and sowing tasks need to be completed during the autumn months!

Temperatures are much milder during fall, and the sun rays are not as strong as during summer. In turn, the cooler environment allows your new plantings to thrive without dealing with the stress coming from sun scorch, high temperatures, or drought.

Discover more of the best trees to plant in autumn to add color and vibrancy to your Dallas-Fort Worth garden by consulting the autumn tree care experts at TreeNewal.

Winter-Proof Your Garden

Autumn represents the last chance to winter-proof your garden and lay the foundation for winter tree care. Between late October and early November, you will need to protect your garden from the upcoming snow, cold, and frosts.

Bear in mind that the harsher temperatures ahead, combined with the wintry climate, stronger winds, and increased chances of heavy downpours, can represent a risk for the health and safety of your trees.

Bracing, cabling and emergency pruning can help you put your trees in safety. Consult a tree care specialist to know what is the best solution for your trees.

Use Mulch As A Warming Blanket

If you think of mulch as a blanket that can help you keep your tree roots warm throughout winter, you won’t hesitate to add an extra layer of mulch over the root area of your trees and shrubs.

Mulch has endless benefits for your trees, but you should also consider using other techniques to keep your trees and shrubs warm. For example, consider wrapping up your evergreens and covering up the most sensitive trees to prevent animal damage.

Invest In Houses For Bats and Owls

Nothing enhances the beauty and magic of a fall garden like the presence of local small wildlife animals! Depending on where you live, you might be welcoming bats, hedgehogs, owls, raccoons, and squirrels.

While these cute inhabitants complete the harmony of your garden, they can also cause damage to your vegetation and represent a danger for your pets and children. Creating bat and owl boxes can help you provide these animals with safe shelter options while decreasing the chances of them getting into contact with humans!

Ensure Your Trees Are Structurally Sound

Before winter comes, you’ll need to ensure that your trees are strong enough to withstand storms, strong winds, and heavy downpours. You can do all that by checking the structural soundness or weakness of your trees.

Some techniques to secure your trees include installing cables and braces. While understanding the structural soundness of your trees is more accessible when leaves are not blocking the view of branches, the inspection should always be completed by an expert arborist.

Complete Some Pruning Jobs – Mindfully!

Pruning in the fall months is not always recommended – and should only be done to increase the structural soundness of a tree, get rid of damaged branches, or limit the spreading of pest infection.

In some cases, pruning dead leaves is essential, but if you are not an expert, an autumn tree care specialist can make better-informed decisions on how and where to prune. Remember that poor pruning can cause stunted growth and irreversible damage – so don’t take any risk!

Consult An Arborist in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Caring for your trees in autumn is a delicate job. While you will need to get our garden ready for the winter months and set up a growing environment for spring, you should also make the most of the bright colors reigning in your garden.

If you are unsure how to find the best balance, get in touch with an expert arborist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area today. The ISA-certified autumn tree care experts at TreeNewal can help you take the best care of your fall garden.

 

To learn more about Autumn Tree Care To-Do List, call our Argyle and Southlake-based teams

at tel:(817) 592-6846 or send us a message.

We’re a little different than the average tree services company.

Learn more about TreeNewal’s ISA Certified Arborists!

Our Dallas/Fort Worth-based tree doctors can explain how sustainable tree care services add more value to your bottom line.

Healthy trees, healthy lives.