Spring is here at last! (according to the calendar, if not the weather!)

It’s time to think about how you can make sure your trees are Healthy, Safe, and Beautiful for this growing season.

What makes a tree healthy?

The best way to make sure your tree is healthy is to make sure it has a healthy root system.

What do roots need to be healthy? Oxygen, Water, and Nutrients.

How do we make sure our roots have access to all of those things?

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The best way to ensure your roots have access to enough oxygen is to decompact the soil as much as possible. In a city, it is very easy for soils to become compacted from foot traffic, street traffic and construction.

What you can do: Be mindful of construction near your trees. Make sure proper Tree Protection Zones are in place.

What your arborist can do: Soil renovation and Vertical Mulching. We use a compressed air tool to make columns in the soil around your tree’s root zone. We then back-fill it with a nutrient-rich compost. This creates pockets of air in the soil for your roots to access.

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When soils are too compacted, it’s hard for water to seep down to the feeder roots of a tree. Also, our summers are getting hotter and drier, so we need to find ways to ensure the tree always has access to adequate amounts of water.

What you can do: Water your trees regularly (especially your newly planted trees). The best way is to run the hose low and slow and away from the root flare to make sure you’re getting the root zone without damaging the trunk.

You can also direct your downspouts in the direction of your trees.

What your arborist can do: We can do a treatment of ArborGain™ soil conditioner. This special product contains yucca, which helps trees with water retention and drought-resistance.

We can also install soil aeration tubes around the root zone of the tree. These pack a double-punch as they work well for allowing water to access the feeder roots AND allow for oxygen and gas exchange in the root zone.

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City soils are often lacking the nutrients and microbiology that trees need to thrive. There are ways to add nutrients and stimulate the soil biology to help make city soils more like that of a forest floor.

What you can do: Use mulch in your planting beds and around your trees. Mulch does a number of things for your trees – it helps to insulate the roots, helps with water retention, and as it decomposes, helps stimulate biology in the soil. Just make sure to leave about 2” of space between your tree trunk and your mulch!

What your arborist can do: Your arborist can apply a deep root fertilizer to the root zone of the tree. We can also include our proprietary product – ArborGain™ to the soil.

ArborGain™ is a soil conditioner and biostimulant. It contains a multitude of organic ingredients to stimulate soil biology, add nutrients to the soil, and increase drought resistance for your tree.

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What makes a tree safe?

A safe tree is a structurally sound tree. This means it has a strong root system, as well as a strong and well-balanced canopy. You’ve already read about how to make your roots strong and healthy, but what about the canopy?

What you can do: Monitor your tree. Be aware of its structure and keep an eye out for cracks, decay, and any limbs that may be over-extending (especially towards houses, driveways or walkways). For your smaller trees and ornamentals, you can also prune out sprouts, small low deadwood, or suckers – anything that you can reach from the ground.

What your arborist can do: Large-scale pruning. We can do structure pruning to improve weight and balance in the canopy. We can prune for improved air flow and shorten over-extended limbs to mitigate the potential for storm damage.

We can also offer structural support – we can install cable systems, bracing bolts or props to support narrow and weak unions, cracks, multi-stem trees, cavities and trees that lean.

What makes a tree beautiful?

A beautiful tree is ultimately a healthy tree. When you think of a beautiful tree, you think of a nice shape and a robust, vibrant foliage.

What you can do: All of the things already mentioned above contribute to a beautiful tree. Another thing you can do is monitor your tree for signs of pests and disease.

What your arborist can do: Pruning and soil amendments all contribute to making your trees beautiful. We can also help combat the pests and disease that can damage your foliage. We have treatments for caterpillars, scale, Emerald Ash Borer, Dutch Elm Disease and much more. We can also treat your trees in the aftermath of an infestation to help ease the stress put on them and let them get their groove back!

We want your trees to be healthy, safe, and beautiful so you can enjoy them today and for years to come.

Call your arborist today for a spring check-up!

Be good to your trees.

Kristie Nairn, MA, MMst
Cohen & Master Tree and Shrub Services Ltd.