Fall Tree Care To-Do List

Many trees go dormant in the winter, offering a reprieve from rapid spring and summer growth — not to mention the upkeep that comes with it. But before maintenance falls to a minimum, there are a few to-dos you’ll want to tackle to ensure your trees come back as healthy as possible next year. Use the following checklist to prepare your property for the cool season.

Five Fall Tree Care Tips

1. Straighten & Support

While mature trees are usually strong enough to survive storms, young saplings may need some extra support to withstand winter weather. Now is also the time to address any leans in young trees by straightening their trunk during early growth. The solution for both these issues is support anchoring. Before the season ends, implement a stake and rope system to support your tree’s trunk or encourage linear growth.

2. Ease Up on Irrigation

Small trees and shrubs need more water in warm weather, but sticking to the same watering pattern through the winter could lead to flooded soil. For foliage that goes dormant, less supplemental water will be needed because moisture from the soil won’t evaporate as quickly. You’ll therefore want to cut back on watering by altering your irrigation schedule so the soil stays moist, but never floods.

One exception would be your evergreens; since these species won’t go dormant, the water loss they experience during winter can be dangerous to their health. Help them hydrate before freezing temps set in by giving them a deep, weekly watering, which can also help prevent winter burn.

3. Clean It Up

A fall lawn cleanup can feel like a significant undertaking, but becomes more approachable when broken up into a couple of smaller tasks.

Start by trimming your shrubs and trees first. Prune dead or diseased branches before they fall during winter storms. For any large or inaccessible branches, enlist the help of our arborists, who can perform professional tree trimming while keeping your home and property safe.

When most of your trees have dropped their leaves, rake them into piles. Leaf removal can be time-consuming, but it’s important for keeping your lawn healthy and preventing mold development. Gather them onto a plastic tarp to make removal easier. As an added bonus, dead leaves are the perfect material for composting, which can be added to your shrub beds and gardens next fall. Just be sure to flip the leaves monthly for aeration.

4. Protect with Mulch

We’ve hailed the praises of mulch in the past, but we’d be remiss not to mention it in your fall tree care checklist. As a reminder, mulch holds the following merits:

  • Insulation
  • Locks in hydration
  • Weed prevention
  • Protection against lawn equipment

We advise applying a two- to four-inch-thick layer of mulch, three to ten feet around your trees and shrubs. Leave a small space around trunks to allow airflow. While mulch can be made from many materials, a nutrient-rich variety will deliver the greatest benefits to your plants.

5. Perform a Visual Check

After you’ve pruned your trees and their leaves have dropped, hidden hazards may reveal themselves. Now is a good time to inspect your trees for signs of pests, decay, and other risks. If something looks off, don’t hesitate to get a professional opinion before winter’s arrival.

Schedule a Tree Care Assessment With Premier Tree Solutions

From tree assessments to professional pruning, Premier Tree Solutions can assist you with many fall tree care tasks. Schedule an appointment by calling 404.252.6448, or contact us online.

 

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All the Trees that Turn Orange and Red in Georgia During Fall

Leaf peeping has long been a favorite activity among fall aficionados, with some trekking many miles to catch glimpses of the season’s vibrant foliage. Although Georgia isn’t as famous for its striking autumn leaves as some other states, you needn’t make a great journey to get your fix— in fact, some species can put on a show right in your own front yard.

Here, we’ve rounded up some of the state’s best trees with vibrant fall leaves.

Everything You Need to Know About Fall Foliage in Georgia

What Type of Tree Changes Colors in the Fall?

It’s a guarantee that most trees in the U.S. will experience some lower winter temperatures, and while their branches and trunks are usually hardy enough to handle the chill, fragile leaves are often too tender. Though evergreen needles have a protective wax coating, other species need to shed their fragile leaves before the cooler season sets in.

For some tree types, that means producing a wondrous spectacle of fiery fall foliage beforehand. As nights grow longer and cooler, trees receive the signal to go dormant. They then stop the flow of chlorophyll to and from their leaves (more on that below).

Some species’ leaves will shrivel up and depart without much to-do. Whether leaves will or won’t become ablaze depends on their concentration of the following chemicals:

  • Carotenoids: Found in bananas, carrots, and buttercups, these nutrients produce yellow, orange, and some red pigments.
  • Anthocyanin: Thank anthocyanin for the shades of red you see in strawberries, as well as the purples and blues visible in blueberries, grapes, and plums.
  • Chlorophyll: You can probably recall this word from science class, but here’s a quick refresher. During the growing season, chlorophyll enables plants to use sunlight for food, and gives leaves their green hue. But as they die, chlorophyll dissipates, revealing the colors from carotenoids and anthocyanin.

Certain species exhibit specific colors, but in general, the following Georgia trees change colors in the fall:

  • Oaks
  • Dogwood
  • Beech
  • Black Tupelo
  • Hickories
  • Aspen
  • Yellow-Poplar
  • Maples

What Tree Turns Orange in Fall?

Sugar Maple

If it’s a fiery orange-red you’re after, turn to the sugar maple. The official state tree of both New York and Vermont, the sugar maple thrives in the Northeast, but it can survive as far south as Georgia and will still produce vibrant foliage. There is a trade-off, however: in southern states, its branches may retain dead leaves throughout most of the winter.

Black Tupelo

For a stunning burnt orange that follows a show of scarlet, consider the black tupelo. Also known as the black gum tree, this ornamental species tolerates a wide range of soil and moisture conditions, including drought and heat.

What Tree Turns Bright Red in Fall?

American Red Maple

The marvelous maple is perhaps the best species for a striking cardinal red. True to its name, the American red maple will stun with crimson before its leaf drop. Preferring moist soil, this maple is often found along Georgia’s wetlands.

Japanese Red Maple

Available in a variety of subspecies, the Japanese red maple typically has delicate, narrow leaves which turn a deep, berry red or burgundy during the fall. In addition to upright varieties, some species take on a more shrub-like form, including weeping Japanese maples with branches that grow in a waterfall pattern.

Schedule a Tree Pruning Session with Premier Tree Solutions

No matter their species (or the colors they turn), the best way to keep your trees looking vibrant and healthy is with routine care. We’re approaching prime time for hand pruning, a service Premier Tree Solutions is happy to perform on your trees and shrubs with professional tools and expertise. To schedule an appointment, send us a message online or call (404) 252-6448.

 

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