As we begin the spring season, I want to discuss some items you can do to improve the “curb appeal” of your Pittsburgh Area Home.  Even if you aren’t selling your Peters Township Real Estate, I hope you will find these suggestions informative.  

Healthy trees add shade and beauty to a yard, as well as having a positive impact on the environment. Regular maintenance will keep your trees healthy and thriving.

It is recommended that you check your trees once a year; you can identify potential problems and take the steps necessary to have healthy trees all year.  Spring time is a great time to check your trees!    

Look for new leaves or buds, normal leaf size and twig growth – all signs of a tree’s vigor.

Signs of poor tree health are:

• trunk decay
• crown dieback
• spotted, deformed, discolored or dead leaves
• loose bark
• deformed growths

Talk about any of these issues with a Peters Township certified arborist or local Pittsburgh tree care professional for advice on possible treatment.

Prune

Pruning is a key aspect of maintaining healthy trees, as well. It promotes good branch structure, reduces potential hazards, and improves overall tree health by removing dead, diseased, and dying branches.

Mulch

Mulching around a tree discourages weeds, helps retain much-needed moisture, and protects the tree from potential damage from mowers and other lawn equipment.

The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) says that, while mulch can be applied any time, the best time to apply is in mid-spring, when the soil temperature has warmed up enough to promote root growth.

Most industry experts encourage using organic mulches – mulches made of natural materials that break down over time. These mulches help improve soil structure and add nutrients and organic material to the soil. Wood chips, pine needles, hardwood and softwood bark, cocoa hulls, leaves and compost mixes all make suitable mulch for trees.

Mulching Tips

Mulching is easy – but it’s also easy to do incorrectly. You may have seen mulch piled up high around tree trunks, forming a ‘volcano.’ This is not what industry experts recommend.

Piling mulch too close to the tree can lead to insect and disease problems, weakening the tree and perhaps eventually killing it. Keep a mulch-free area of at least four to six inches around the base of the tree.

Apply mulch between two and four inches in depth over weed-free soil around the tree. To be most effective, mulch should cover the entire root system – which may be as far as two or three times the diameter of the branch spread of the tree. If there is not enough space in your yard to do this, mulch as much of the area under the drip line (where the outermost leaves are) of the tree as possible.

Water

On average, trees need the equivalent of one inch of rain every seven to 10 days, depending on species. Just as with lawns, frequent, shallow watering can do more harm than good.

Spring is arriving in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas of Peters Township, Mount Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and it is a great time to get out and prepare your trees and your Pittsburgh Area Yard for a beautiful spring and summer. 

Until next time,

Jim