If you live in an area where an abundant amount of deciduous trees are present upon your property, you likely enjoy the shade they provide to you on hot days as well as their appearance when you gaze at the land around you. Maintenance steps are required to ensure your trees remain healthy. Perform these actions to keep your trees from deteriorating.

Check The Condition Of Your Trees Often

Inspect your trees as you walk past them to check for potential problematic symptoms. A deciduous tree with discolored leaves when it is not yet autumn indicates it is suffering from a disease. Trees with insect infestations tend to lose limbs. Trees that are battling nearby plants or grass for moisture may die over time. Any alteration to a tree's normal appearance is a sign that it is likely in distress. Contact a local arborist for recommendations on how to treat a dying tree properly.

Add Mulch For Moisture Retention

One task that protects trees from not getting enough moisture is by adding a layer of mulch around their bases. This is an easy maintenance task to perform each year to protect trees from drying out. Before wintertime sets in, place mulch around trees so moisture remains near their roots. In the springtime, replace the mulch with a new batch. The mulch keeps moisture from evaporating through the soil, keeping trees hydrated throughout the warmer months of the year. 

Prune Trees To Remove Dead Limbs

It is important to prune trees each year to remove any limbs suffering from disease, pest infestations, or improper growth. Pruning helps to thin out the branches growing from a tree, allowing sunlight to pass through without difficulty. Removing limbs also protects people and animals utilizing the land around the trees and keeps your personal property from becoming damaged due to falling pieces. 

Add A Fertilizer Before Winter Begins

In the fall, maintain your trees by adding fertilizer to the soil where their roots are located underground. Make sure the fertilizing agent you select works specifically for the tree species you intend to use it on. Most of these agents are sold in easy-to-pour containers or you can pour the solution into a sprayer to make sure you are using the proper amount as indicated in the packaging directions. Adding fertilizer acclimates trees to cooler temperatures by helping their roots to harden, thereby protecting them from being too weak when moisture is less abundant.

Reach out to a local tree services company to learn more.