Autumn Tree Care

A new season means new changes for your trees! Our ISA Certified Arborists compiled their best advice for preparing for the winter months, and giving your trees a little autumn love –

Continue deep watering

We don’t get intense ground freezes or snow here in the Sacramento Valley, but trees still need healthy watering habits as they enter dormancy.

Time to plant

After the brutal summer Sacramento heat, fall is an ideal time to get fresh plantings and trees in the cooler ground. Though spring is known as the ‘growth season’, planting in the fall helps give your new tree time to establish a healthy root system before external spring growth and summer heat arrives!

Prepare for citrus frost

Yep, take those frost protection blankets and covers out before the chilly temperatures hit, and ensure they’re still in good condition, large enough to cover any new growth from the year, and ready for another season!

Fall pruning

This is a big one! Trees with dead, brittle, or broken branches become especially dangerous during winter storms and higher winds. Getting pruning done before storms cause major damage can help prevent costly damage to your tree and your (or your neighbor’s!) property. Unlike planned pruning, the damage caused by storms means trees often take on wounds that are hard to heal, like major breaks or peeled limbs, and this can often result in permanent damage to the health of your trees – sometimes even resulting in removal being the best option. If you’ve got trees needing some love and a trim, autumn is a good time to get things done!

Fresh mulch

If your mulch is looking sparse or hasn’t been refreshed in a few seasons, fall is a great time to treat your trees and shrubs to a new layer. Mulch can help retain moisture and keep temperatures steady as the weather changes – an easy tool to combat environmental stressors in the summer and the winter!

Get your dormant spray on schedule

If you have trees susceptible to leaf curl (peaches, nectarines, and other stone fruits), prevention is the only option for suppression! This made the fall checklist because the treatments are only effective if done in November, January, and February, in a set of three. If this is something you’d like done, be sure to get it on the books!

Have your Arborist out!

Fall visits are a great time to get expert eyes on your trees, especially if you’re concerned about potential storm damage, seasonal watering adjustments, and spotting pests and diseases. Our ISA Certified Arborists are always happy to walk through your property with you and answer any questions you have – just drop us a line!