Essential Spring Tree Maintenance for a Healthy Growing Season

Watching your trees come to life after a season of slumber is an energizing sight. But to ensure they stay as vibrant as possible through the coming months, it’s important to treat them to a little TLC. Here, we share our top spring tree care tips to encourage healthy growth.

How to Care for Trees in Spring

Prune Like a Pro

Should trees be pruned in the spring? It’s a question we encounter often, so we’ve touched on it before. As a reminder, early spring pruning is ideal for most tree species since it allows you to eliminate dead or damaged branches affected by winter’s wrath. Prune your trees to thin out crowded branches or control its shape and watch its growth take off — or call in expert help if you’re feeling unsure.

Serve Up Some Sustenance

After a season of dormancy, your trees are hungry. Deliver nourishment via an all-natural fertilizer: trash! Collect organic waste like eggshells, coffee grounds, vegetable trimmings and fruit peels (no meat, dairy or shellfish products though) and pile them together to create your own compost. Spread a layer at the base of your tree, but avoid placing it directly against the trunk. With nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, the blend will give your trees beneficial sustenance to support healthy root development.

Quench Their Thirst

While many mature trees can survive on rainfall alone, most shrubs and younger trees will appreciate added hydration to help fuel their growth. Manual watering is one way to get the job done, but irrigation is a shortcut worth considering. For a DIY method, place drip lines around the base of your tree, about as far out as its canopy extends. Set your system to deliver at least three weekly watering sessions during the growth season, but check back to make sure the surrounding soil isn’t flooding. If so, cut back until it’s damp but not saturated.

Mulch for a Magic Touch

We’ve sung the praises of mulch in the past, but as one of the most effective spring tree care activities you can do, it bears repeating. Mulch locks moisture in, keeps weeds out, and keeps your yard looking polished at the same time. Spread a layer two to four inches thick around your tree’s base, taking care to avoid the area directly against the bark.

Make It Fun

Trees benefit your property in many ways, from improving air quality and energy costs to assisting in stormwater management. Caring for them is work, but we believe having trees can be rewarding in other ways, too. Here are just a few ideas for making the most of your trees through the springtime and beyond:

• Set up feeders to invite Georgia’s backyard bird populations for a visit. From sparrows and finches, to mockingbirds and cardinals, you never know who might show up.
• String lights around or between your trees to enjoy an ethereal outdoor glow after the sun sets. Just be sure to avoid using nails, which could injure your trees’ bark tissue — tree straps or electrical tape are safer alternatives.
• Hang a hammock to get ready for warm afternoons spent swaying in the breeze.

Schedule a Service With Premier Tree Solutions

Getting your yard spring-ready can be a major endeavor. From stump grinding to tree trimming, our professional tree care services can set you up for a smooth and successful growth season. To request an estimate, call 404.252.6448 or send us a message online.