In Kansas City, warm summer days are the best time to relax in the backyard and enjoy summer activities, like a BBQ with the family. It is essential to prepare your trees for the summer to keep the landscape healthy and your property/family safe.
The summer heat can have harsh effects on your trees. Humid weather, moisture, storms, and pests are a part of Missouri's hot season! If you want to see your trees survive and flourish in the hottest of summer days, quality care and maintenance are needed.
Here are some easy summer tree care tips to keep your trees growing strong so you can continue to enjoy their shady benefits:
Watering
The roots and the soil will dry out quickly during Missouri's hot, humid weather, depending on where you are located. Watering trees, especially the newly planted baby's, is essential. Make sure not to overwater those baby's though, as it can have a negative effect. On average, your baby trees require an inch of water every week. Avoid using your sprinkler and focus on watering the critical root zone by hand. Don't forget to consider the amount of rainfall your region has experienced when watering. It is recommended to water your trees in the morning or late afternoon to avoid evaporation, and you don't want to fry your new babies!
Mulching
Mulching is recommended for effective tree care. It is best to mulch your trees in the spring, but summer will do too! Mulching is necessary because it will limit weed invasion, sustain moisture, and manage soil temperatures. Surround your trees with 3-4 inches of mulch.
Pruning
Pruning encourages healthy, strong, and vigor tree growth. Most of the time, pruning is done when the trees are dormant, especially Oaks and Elms, in our region. During summer, it is essential to remove only the dead, damaged, dangerous, and/or infected branches. Beware, if you prune or trim too much, it can do more harm than good. Don't cut or prune your flowering shrubs and trees until the end of the blooming period. Call a tree care professional for effective pruning.
Soil care
Soil care is essential because many tree problems arise from poor soil. The quality of soil affects your trees' health. Have your trees properly fertilized, especially if you are in the Kansas City urban or suburban environments, to assure your trees get the proper nutrition to grow healthy and keep pests and diseases away.
Pest inspection
Taking a walk in your yard and regularly examining your trees for pests and diseases during summer can help you spot a problem. Call a professional to control the issues before it gets out of hand. Warm weather is ideal for pest infestation. Common summer pests to look for are wilt, spider mites, Japanese beetles, sawflies, leaf spot, aphids, and bagworms.
Storm Preparation
In Kansas City, summer storms bring heavy rains and winds that can be hazardous for trees and your property. Have your trees inspected for potential removal, bracing, or cabling of weak limbs to prevent damage. Get your trees inspected by a tree care professional to determine their safety.
Trees are a beautiful and purposeful addition to any yard. Following a routine tree care maintenance schedule throughout each season is a perfect way to ensure that your trees stay happy and healthy.
If you find it overwhelming, time-consuming, and stressful, call an experienced tree care professional to inspect your trees for risk and offer expert advice on summer tree care.
At Cartwright Tree Care, we offer tree trimming, removal, and pruning services to keep your trees strong, healthy, and beautiful so that you can enjoy a flourishing (safe) yard the whole summer.
Cartwright Tree Care offers tree trimming and pruning, and tree removal, in the Kansas City Metro Area, including surrounding Johnson County areas!. 24/7 emergency service. Call us today at 816-965-6758!
