Avoiding Common Tree Mistakes

5 Care Tips For Shade Trees

10 August 2022 by Chiara Brun

Shade trees can be one of the most important plants in your yard. Not only are they beautiful, but they also provide much-needed protection from the sun so that you can better enjoy your time outside. Keeping these trees healthy is a must.

1. Raise the Crown

Shade trees are made to be gathered under, whether it's sharing laughs and drinks or playing lawn games. If the crown of the tree is too low, you won't be able to move freely and fully enjoy the shade. A trimming service can prune away the lower branches in a manner that won't harm the tree but will allow for a higher and fuller crown above. 

2. Minimize Competition

Lots of shady foliage does more than just block sunlight from the ground, it can also reduce the amount of rain and irrigation water that soaks into the soil. Minimizing competition with the tree for soil moisture and nutrients will result in a healthier shade tree. Consider mulching over the root zone so other plants and weeds don't compete too closely, and have any weeds that do encroach immediately removed.

3. Thin Thick Canopies

Although shade is the goal, there can be too much of a good thing. An overly dense crown has poor air circulation and light penetration, which means the foliage is more prone to fungal issues and dieback. These problems can affect the health of the entire tree. Your tree care service can carefully thin out the branches so that there is still plenty of shade but the crown is no longer overcrowded.

4. Prevent Crowding

Since shade trees tend to be larger varieties, it is important to make sure they have plenty of space to grow. This may mean trimming back nearby shrubs and smaller trees so that they don't overlap into the shade tree's area. Entangled branches between trees are a dangerous problem since wind can cause dual blowdowns or damage to the tree branches. 

5. Protect the Trunk

Damage to the trunk can compromise the health of the entire tree. Protection from inadvertent damage from lawn care and other tools is a must. Edging in around the trunk and spreading mulch creates a buffer zone when doing lawn work. Alternatively, you can have a trunk guard installed to provide protection. The main goal is to prevent anything that damages the bark.

Contact a tree trimming service for more help with annual shade tree maintenance.

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