Well-established trees are often a low-maintenance joy, offering shady afternoons and decades of beauty. Caring for your mature and established trees will give them a future of health and longevity; a little care goes a long way! 

Here are our six go-to tips for giving your shady friends the best care:

1. Regularly water your trees during dry periods to moisten the soil. 

Though your new plantings will thrive on a drip system, big trees typically like a deep-watering schedule. This usually means a monthly or semi-monthly deep soaking of the soil and root base to allow them to get a nutritious drink deeper into their soil. 

2. Mulch around the base of the trees to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Mulching is a powerhouse of tree wellness! Especially important with our toasty summer temperatures here in the Sacramento and Placer areas, mulch helps keep the soil around the roots of your tree cooler and moistened. A natural mulch a few inches thick and not touching the trunk (leaving room for the flare to avoid over-moist wood and rot) will help retain water and promote healthy soil for your beautiful tree to thrive in.

3. Prune dead or diseased branches to improve the tree’s health and appearance.

Even more so than appearance, keeping your big trees skillfully pruned is essential for their health and the safety of your property! Trees carry an exorbitant amount of weight… weight that can come down on your property, your neighbor’s roof, or the street in winds or heat waves! Pruning helps keep dead limbs, uneven and heavy weight, and structural issues that can cause breakage off and away from your tree. Keeping up with needed pruning is an investment that maintains your investment in your property and your peace of mind safe!

4. Look for signs of pests or disease, such as discoloration or unusual growth.

This one is a big perk of having a relationship with your arborist! We keep our eyes out for any signs of disease or pests when we come for our annual visit, but you’re your tree’s first line of help! Look out for diseased leaves, excess pests, stickiness, wood breakage, and tree appearance that looks unusual to you. We’re happy to help and our Plant Health Care team can expertly diagnose and treat pests, diseases, or nutritional deficiencies. 

5. Organic Fertilization

Great nutrition is the basis of wellness, and trees are no exception! Our organic fertilization treatments are injected directly into the soil, reaching your mature trees’ roots where they need the most nutrients. 

6. Annual Arborist Wellness Check

Our ISA Certified arborists offer complimentary annual walkthroughs with our existing clients to look over and assess the health of their trees, new and old. We can spot early signs of stress and disease, spot overgrown limbs, or simply help with any questions about caring for your trees!