Tree Care Myths
Though trees typically take care of themselves in forest places, trees require appropriate care and protection in urban environments. Almost every homeowner values the tree on their property. However, only some of them know how to properly take care of a tree. In addition to that, it’s difficult for homeowners to know what the ideal practices are and what isn’t because today’s world is full of misinformation.
That is why we are here to help you. We are going to debunk several myths that will help you cut out risky and expensive mistakes in tree care.
- A tree should be securely staked to make sure it develops a strong trunk and stable root when planted.
While it’s often required to stake trees to allow development and keep them upright, there are several negative effects of tree staking. Un-staked trees tend to establish a better trunk taper and more extensive root system, unlike staked trees.
For those who don’t know, to avoid “girdling the tree”, you should remove the staking materials after a year. The possibility of trunk damage from the staking ties or wires is the worst effect of staking.
2. The trunk of a newly planted tree should be wrapped to prevent insect entry and sunscald.
According to several studies, almost every tree wrap have shown that they don’t prevent serious instabilities on the bark’s temperature. In several cases, the extreme temperature can even have a bad effect on the tree. In addition to that, tree wraps have proven pretty useless in preventing the entry of insects. The truth is that insects love to burrow under a tree wrap.
3. When a tree is planted, it should be heavily pruned back to compensate for the root loss.
Unpruned trees provide the best tree development. While pruning the upper part can lower the amount of water that evaporates from the leaves, the tree requires a complete crown to generate the required food and the hormones that promote root development. If a tree has a fuller crown, it will establish a more extensive and stronger root system. If you want to prune a newly planted tree, make sure you limit it to the removal of dead branches and structural training. Make sure you hire a professional tree service Springfield IL to do the job.
4. The top of the tree is a mirror of the root system
A lot of individuals assume there is a huge, branching taproot developing deep into the soil. However, taproots aren’t actually common in mature trees. Typically, taproots will be forced into horizontal growth if they do develop. This is because of the hard sub-soils underneath the surface. You can find the whole root system of almost every tree within 3 feet of soil. But, its spread can be extremely extensive. It sometimes extends 2 up to 3 times the crown’s spread.
5. To reach their root system, trees need deep root fertilization.
Roots grow where oxygen and water are available. They will look for a place where conditions are best for root establishment. If you put the fertilizer 12 feet up to 18 feet deep, you’re putting it extremely deep.