Hot Weather Best Practices Arborists In Kansas City Use to Achieve Optimal Tree Health
Kansas City area homeowners must be diligent about summer tree care. Intense heat, drought conditions, and severe storms can impact the vitality of trees, and potentially cause severe damage.
Ensuring your trees are well-cared for during this season keeps them healthy and beautiful, so they can help your home maintain its curb appeal. Homeowners can use the following summer tree care tips to guide them through the hot weather months.
Arborist-Approved Summer Tree Care Best Practices
Summer isn’t the same throughout the country, which is why it’s important to follow the guidance of an experienced arborist. A local Kansas City arborist has in-depth has in-depth knowledge of local tree species and how the Midwest’s distinct climate and weather patterns can affect them. Keeping that in mind, homeowners should use the following best practices for summer tree care.
Tree Trimming and Pruning
Tree trimming and pruning isn’t just about shaping the canopy for curb appeal purposes, although that’s one major benefit. Arborists recommend summer trimming and pruning because it removes dead limbs and branches the tree can do without. By extension, this increases circulation and sunlight exposure throughout the canopy.
Best practices:
- Timing: Ideally, homeowners should prune their trees at the end of winter or early spring. However, there’s never a bad time to remove dead or diseased branches. Kansas City area homeowners, however, should avoid pruning Oak trees and American Elm trees in the summer, as this leaves them vulnerable to disease.
- Technique: Use clean, sharp tools to make precise cuts just outside the branch collar. Remove dead or diseased branches first, then thin out overcrowded areas.
- Safety: Be cautious of large or high branches. For significant pruning tasks, especially near power lines, hire an experienced arborist near you.
Deep Root Summer Watering
Kansas City’s summer heat, humidity, and occasional drought conditions make it difficult for trees to get the water they need. A common mistake homeowner’s make is increasing the frequency of their watering when they should focus on watering depth. Much of the water at the surface level gets evaporated before it reaches your tree’s roots. Deep watering makes it down to the tree’s root system where it’s absorbed.
Best Practices:
- Frequency: Water deeply and infrequently to encourage deep root growth. Consult with a certified arborist about best watering practices for your specific tree species and age. Young trees require more water than established trees.
- Time of day: Water early in the morning or just after sunset to reduce evaporation and ensure the soil absorbs the moisture.
- Method: Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation system to water slowly, deeply, and thoroughly. Water the entire area under the tree’s canopy, all the way out to the edge.
Mulch to Retain Moisture
Even when applying best watering practices, moisture loss and evaporation are still challenges for most homeowners. Applying a thin layer of mulch to the tree’s base (starting outside of the visible root flare) helps with retaining moisture, regulating soil temperature, and preventing weed growth.
Best Practices:
- Type: Arborists recommend using organic mulch such as wood chips, hardwood bark, or compost for best results.
- Application: Apply a layer of natural mulch around the base of the tree that’s about two to three inches thick. Avoid piling excessive mulch at the base of the tree, also known as “volcano mulching,” as it damages bark.
Maintenance: Replenish mulch as needed, especially after heavy storms with high winds.
Fertilizing Trees In the Summer
As fallen twigs, leaves, and bark decay, they become a source of vital nutrients to trees. But most homeowners remove them for the sake of curb appeal. This can potentially lead to trees becoming nutrient-deficient, which makes them more susceptible to invasive pests and disease. Homeowners can keep their curb appeal and help their trees by using nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Best Practices:
- Type: At Eisenhower Tree Care we recommend using organic fertilizers to promote slower, more natural absorption of nutrients. Chemical fertilizers, although fast-acting, run the risk of overwhelming the tree, compromising soil conditions, and scorching the yard. For our clients we offer organic biochar, a soil amendment that helps to rejuvenate the soil and enables it to hold moisture for longer.
- Timing: Avoid fertilizing during the hottest months to prevent stress. Early fall and late summer are the best times to do it. Homeowners who notice trees on their property showing signs of nutrient-deficiency or pest infestation should contact a qualified arborist.
- Application: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application rates and methods. Water the tree thoroughly after fertilizing to help distribute the nutrients.
Preventing Tree Pest Infestations
Invasive pests can cause significant damage to trees, weakening them and making them more susceptible to disease and environmental stress. Emerald ash borers, long-horned beetles, and spotted lanternflies are the most relevant threats to trees in Kansas City.
Best Practices:
- Maintain optimal tree health: Invasive pests target trees that are sick or malnourished. Through proper watering, mulching, and fertilizing, trees remain healthy and are more resistant to pests.
- Monitoring: Regularly inspect trees for signs of pests, such as holes in leaves, discolored foliage, cobweb-like substances, or sticky sap.
- Pest management: Arborists and tree surgeons can help homeowners resolve pest infestations without hurting the tree.
Summer Storm Tree Preparation
Summer storms can bring strong winds and heavy rains, potentially leading to tree damage and structural issues. By extension, branch breakage or a tree that uproots and falls poses a risk to people and property.
Best Practices:
- Structural pruning: Remove weak or dead branches to improve structural integrity. This type of pruning requires in-depth knowledge of tree structures, so it’s best to consult with an arborist.
- Support systems: For young trees with no established root system, use stakes or wires to provide additional support during storms. Use cabling and bracing for established trees with structural issues.
- Check for damage: It’s always a good idea to check trees for damage after storms. By addressing issues in the earliest stages, it can prevent further problems and give your trees the best chance of recovery. Homeowners should contact emergency tree services for storm-damaged trees that have fallen on buildings or across roadways.
How to Contact an Arborist Near You
Caring for your trees during the summer months means remaining diligent about performing essential tasks, continuous monitoring to spot potential issues, and following arborist-approved best practices.
You can receive expert advice and numerous tree care services by contacting an experienced arborist. These trained tree care professionals will inspect your trees, identify risk factors, and implement solutions that ensure the long-term health and vitality of your trees.
