Tree Care Is Necessary During Hot Summers In Toronto

While the arrival of summer heat and humidity may be conducive and beneficial to many outdoor and leisure pursuits, it can also have a detrimental effect on lawns and gardens. For this reason, many homeowners and amateur gardeners will pay particular attention to watering the grass and any vegetable patches and flower beds that were painstakingly prepared and planted back in the spring.

Unfortunately, the importance of tree care is often lost within this emphasis on watering and nurturing gardens and lawns during the hot and humid days of the summer in Toronto. Summer weather can be particularly stressful and damaging to trees yet they are often left to basically fend for themselves over this time with respect to the essentials of water and nutrition. In contrast, tree care is critically important during the summer, and due to the multiple functions and aesthetic appeal that trees can provide, they are actually deserving of such service.

Some of the evidence that more attentive summer tree care may be required includes:

• Stunted or underdeveloped growth patterns
• Leaves that are wilted, discoloured, or dead
• Dead or damaged branches
• Signs of disease or rot on trunks or leaves

To address any or all of the above issues, homeowners can embark on a proactive tree care approach, consisting of watering, fertilizing, and pruning (only if/when necessary) or they may opt to call upon the expertise of a professional tree care service such as DreamWorks.

Guidelines To Tree Care Over The Summertime In Toronto

As noted above, effective tree care over the summer requires the balancing of three elementary yet critically important considerations. These include:

• Watering
• Fertilizing
• Pruning

However, despite the best of intentions, inappropriate or incorrect applications of these fundamentals can actually have a further negative effect on the already weakened or poor condition of any tree that may require this type of care. Therefore, it is essential that homeowners observe or adhere to certain guidelines when implementing any or all of these steps in order to achieve the best outcomes/results.

Some good rules-of-thumb would be as follows:

Watering

• Water weekly unless approximately one inch of rain has fallen that week
• Amount of water will depend on type of tree and its location within the property
• Deep watering is paramount i.e.: water must penetrate to the tree roots
• Best times to water are late evening or early morning (to prevent evaporation)
• Using organic mulches (bark, wood chips) will help conserve moisture content

Fertilizing

• Perform soil tests to assess nutrient deficiencies and type of fertilizer needed
• Do not fertilize too close to the trunk
• Do extend the fertilization as far as the outermost reaches of the branches
• Use caution with nitrogen fertilizers in late summer (to avoid unwanted growth)

Pruning

• Should only be performed in the summer if absolutely necessary
• Pruning should focus on dead, diseased, or damaged limbs only
• General pruning (for aesthetics) may actually encourage more disease/infestation

Some homeowners may feel less than confident in performing their own tree care or simply may not have the time and/or the inclination to adequately perform any/all of the above processes. In such circumstances, there is the viable option of utilizing a skilled and proficient tree care service in Toronto.

To ensure that your trees receive the proper tree care throughout the heat and humidity of the summer, call the experts at DreamWorks Tree Services today at either 647-924-2627 or 1-800-407-9917 or contact us to make tree care a regular part of the overall summer maintenance routine for your property.

Also Read: The Benefits Of Professional Tree Services