Autumn Tree Care

It seems as if our glorious summer has come to an end, and it’s time to focus on the upcoming cooler months. While your trees are in the state of hibernation during winter, exposure to tough conditions can cause them stress. We recommend the following Autumn tree care tips, for preparing your trees for the colder months ahead.

Mulch & Fertilise

Following a very hot and dry summer, trees are bound to have lost vital nutrients in the soil. To help the trees retain nutrients, apply a fertiliser. This will help the trees to improve their resistance to damage from disease, insects and stressful weather.

Use mulch under your tree in the autumn and early winter, to help retain water and reduce the temperature of the soil. As we have mentioned in a previous article, soil takes all summer to warm up and all winter to cool down. The mulch will help to cool the soil as the trees enter their dormant stage.

Water

We usually experience showers throughout Autumn, however, as winter approaches and the rain goes away, your trees should be watered during long periods of drought. Autumn is a great time to give your trees a hearty gulp of water before the cold months hit, and ensure that they are well hydrated throughout winter.

An occasional watering during the winter for young trees can be a lifesaver. Be sure to water when soil and trees are cool, but not frozen.

Prune

Autumn is a good time to prune your trees. Not only are trees dormant in the colder months, but it is also easier to see a tree’s structure once the leaves have fallen. Obviously this is only the case if the trees are deciduous, common examples include Oak and Maple.

Pruning is a vital part of the overall health of trees and plants. It helps to relieve stress and allows them to keep growing. Each type of tree is different, and pruning at the wrong time or improper pruning can injure a tree and make them more susceptible to disease and infection.

Plant

Autumn is the time of year where the leaves change colour and fall. Most people do not realise that this is also a prime time to plant new trees. At Longacre, we have a full tree planting guide, but to refresh your memory, the winter conditions are perfect for stimulating root growth in new trees. Allow the root system to established throughout Autumn and Winter, spring showers and summer warmth continue to encourage growth.

Autumn is the optimum time to plant root ball trees, and bare root trees should always be planted later in the season and more as we head into Winter.

For more tree care advice, contact our experts today on 07736 933530.