Spring tree care sets the pace, and can mean keeping a beloved shade tree in the future.
In Greater Victoria that means sussing out the dead while things are coming alive; looking for debris and planning for a potentially long, hot summer, according to experts in the field.
There are several things to look for as winter gives way to spring buds and blooms, said Sam Morrison district manager for Nanaimo Davey Tree Experts. It’s time to look over for damages and get rid of anything hung up in trees.
“Often times it can be a little trickier to tell what’s live and what’s dead on a tree until it’s leafed out,” Morrison said. “Look for dead wood, that is pretty easy to note as things are starting to grow out, you can see what’s flowering, what’s budding, (and) what isn’t. Removing dead wood is going to remove a source that could be fungal growth or attract pests.”
Cleaning up the base of potentially root-choking debris, piled by humans or nature, is also crucial in pest and fungal avoidance.
“When we pile stuff at the base of the tree, it can restrict the ability for the tree's roots to breathe – the roots need to respire the same as the foliage,” Morrison said.
Those assessments are the first steps to two key goals, said Thomas Whitney, technical advisor for Pacific Northwest and Western Canada – planning for immediate needs and long-term requirements. While now is a key time to identify possible hazards and see what might need a trained eye, it’s also time to be proactive.
“This is also the time to really get engaged in your landscape and see how things are developing … and plan for fall and winter,” Whitney said.
Give the landscape a full assessment or basic site checkup, both recommend. It’s a good time to both clear the landscape and get nutrition into trees. A good layer of compost, fertilizer and wood chip mulch provides for nutrients and prepares for the seasons ahead.
“Soil health is often overlooked but it is also one of the most major factors in a tree's health,” Morrison said.
Mulch acts as a natural weed barrier, but avoid the more flammable pine shavings or cedar bark mulch, he recommends.
“We want a good wood-chip mulch and a good two to three-inch layer of it, which will help maintain the soil moisture content and regulate the temperature,” Morrison said.
They don’t recommend landscape fabric near the base of a tree as it can limit root growth and moisture penetration.
Arbortists across Vancouver Island are increasingly assessing for fire risk presented by trees, shrubs and general landscape. That can lead back to looking for additional debris and clearing the dead wood, looking for fuel loading or raising a tree canopy up to head height to mitigate chances of a surface fire candling up a tree. A grass fire can ignite low-hanging branches, sending flames up rapidly.
“We’re definitely seeing some changes in the climate and weather. We’ve had a couple of significant forest fires in the area, which has really brought it to the forefront as an emerging practice,” Morrison said.
In the end, it all leaves a healthier tree less vulnerable to pests, disease and fungi, he added.
“Trees are pretty complex structures, and they’re not able to tell us what’s wrong.”
