As trees grow and mature they add value to your property. Not only do they beautify your surroundings, they purify the air while preventing erosion and saving energy in the process. While maintaining larger, mature trees is a good investment, it’s just as important to make sure they don’t become a hazardous problem over time. That’s why the certified arborist at Westcoast Tree Care would like to provide you with the following tree care tips for larger, mature trees.
Tree Care Inspections
A tree care inspection by a certified arborist will call to attention any changes in a trees health before it becomes a serious problem. While you can do a general inspection yourself, it’s important to keep in mind that many signs and symptoms of a problematic tree can be subtle or even undetectable to the untrained eye. A certified arborist, on the other hand, will provide you with better results by assessing the health and stability of a tree based on its type, size, location and overall appearance.
During a tree care inspection, a certified arborist will look for the following:
- Crown Dieback
- Visible Dead Branches
- Cracks (or) Cavities
- Missing Bark
- V-Shaped Unions
- Potential Pest Problems
- Root Damage & Decay
Mulching
While mulch is an essential element to maintain new plant growth, it’s actually a great practice at every stage of a tree’s life. Mulch helps to reduce environmental stress by providing protection from the harsh elements while suppressing unwanted weeds and maintaining stable root health with moisture rich soil. Mulch can also protect the base of a tree from damage due to lawn mowers, and weed whackers. For effective results, mulch should be added 2-4 inches deep around the base of your tree to keep them healthy.
Professional Pruning
Pruning is another important tree care measure that will ensure the health of larger, mature trees. Not only will it maintain structural soundness, pruning will keep you and your property safe by removing dead, diseased, and insect infested branches. However, pruning should never be handled as a DIY job. That’s why it’s important to hire a certified arborist who is trained in all aspects of arboriculture and preventative tree care techniques.
Removal
Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of factors that may warrant the removal of a large, mature tree. Some of these include storm damage, insect infestation, malnutrition, poor soil conditions, flooding, old age, and construction damage. However, you should never try to remove a tree yourself. Only a certified arborist will have the experience, and equipment necessary to safely and efficiently remove trees.
Westcoast Tree Care
At Westcoast Tree Care, we help homeowners in Bainbridge Island make educated decisions when it comes to caring for larger, mature trees. Whether you would like more information on tree health or require any of our preventative tree care services, we are the professionals you can trust. Our certified arborist would be more than happy to walk your property and answer any questions you may have. Contact us at 1-800-767-8733.
