J & T Lawn and Tree

1. I'm thinking about planting a tree in my yard. How do I know how deep to dig the hole?

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• When you plant a tree you should remove the tree from the pot or whatever it came in and lightly break up the dirt around the roots. Often times you will need to remove some of the dirt in order to expose the first root, this being the first root you will see going down from the trunk. When you dig the hole you should make it so that the top root is right at the ground level. Planting the roots to deep will cause many problems such as root rot and stem girdling roots which will suffocate a tree and can eventually lead to the death of the tree. 

 

2. Should I put mulch around my tree?

 

• Sure mulch can be great for trees if applied properly. Mulch helps to keep the soil moist, and warm in the winter and cool in summer which is good for the root system. Mulch keeps a area around the tree free from grass and weeds that will compete for water and food. However to much mulch is bad you want to avoid what arborists call the "mulch volcano", this is when the mulch is piled up around the trunk of the tree. The volcano will cause several problems, mulch against the tree trunk can lead to moisture on the trunk which will cause the trunk of the tree to rot and severely weaken the tree as well as invite bugs and critters that will eat the tree bark and spread disease. The pile of mulch also can keep to much moisture around the roots causing a problem known as root rot, as well as deprive the roots of oxygen. It is recommended that you keep the mulch away from the trunk and not more than 4 inches deep.

 

3. Should I have my tree topped 

 

• NO! With the exception of fruit type tree you should never allow anyone to top your tree unless it poses a major safety issue to let the tree grow naturally, such as a overhead power line. Tree toping was a strategy developed when wood was scarce and in high demand so they topped trees in order to get the wood and allow the tree to grow back. Topping a tree will make the tree more dangerous in the long run. When a tree is topped it grows several shoots from that spot which will be a weak point and can eventually break off when the shoot becomes a large limb. Once a tree has been toped, it will for safety reasons need to be cut back much more often than normal. A properly trimmed tree will look much better and be much safer and will still allow the light to get down to grow the grass.

 

 

4. Is it true that I shouldn’t have my oak trees trimmed in the spring?

 

• Because of research showing beetles that spread the disease known as “oak wilt” are most active from mid March through early July we recommend having your oaks trimmed before or after this time. Oaks trimmed during this time will have open wounds which will attract beetles to the sap. The beetles are known to spread oak wilt which can kill a health oak in as little as a few months.