The rainy season is a time when trees receive enough water. However, receiving too much water every day can also bring bad effects to them. In addition, the rainy season can be a time to prepare your trees in case it heavy for a few consecutive days.
If you’ve lost a couple of trees in the rainy season before, you already know that it’s sad and the cleaning can be exhausting.
In this article, we’ll give you some time on how to take care of your trees for the rainy season, so don’t hesitate to check the list below!
1. Inspect the trees and prune accordingly
Before the rainy season begins, it’s vital to observe every inch of your trees to see if there are weak parts. If there are some wobbly branches, it’s best to cut them now to avoid damage. You can contact an arborist to do this since they can inspect them more than you do.
In addition, if you see that the trees need printing, you should do so. Again, if you can contact an arborist, it’s easier than doing it yourself. Meanwhile, it’s advisable to prune trees more often, and not just because the rainy season is coming.
Pruning isn’t just to avoid property damage and accidents but it also allows the trees to grow healthier and better.
2. Add some mulch
During the rainy season, it’s advisable to put mulch are the trees to maintain temperature, lock moisture, and prevents weeds from growing. When applying mulch, maintain a two to four inches layer for a more effective result.
Aside from the benefits that trees can get from mulching, it also avoids soil erosion. So if you think the soil in your area tends to become soft during rainy days, don’t forget to mulch.
If you’re wondering about the best mulch, you can try shredded wood, wood chips, or pine straws. Whatever’s available in your area can do the trick.
3. Don’t forget about the drainage
Maintaining drainage can be a significant help during rainy days. If you’ve always cleaned and checked your drainage, there’s a high chance that there’ll be no flooding in your area that can greatly affect the health of the trees and other plants.
Aside from keeping the drainage clog-free, don’t forget to remove debris, branches, and leaves from the gutter and near the trees. If the water gets stuck in these areas, flooding can also be possible even if you have well-maintained drainage. And If you have a pool, don’t forget to clean the filter to allow the water to flow freely.
4. Water the trees with the right amount
During the rainy season, there are times when the trees may still look dry. However, you shouldn’t water them right away. Take some time to observe if the interior has enough moisture. If not, you might overwater your trees and they might drown.
Aside from drowning, the soil near the trees can get soft causing it to be unstable and might be hard to hold the trees. When the soil is unstable and a heavy wind flows, there’s a high chance that the tree might fall.
If you’re not sure about the moisture of the soil, you may consult an arborist before watering the trees.
5. Check for fungal infections
The excess moisture caused by continuous rain can be a suitable environment for fungal infections. So even if you’ve already checked the trees before the rainy season comes, regular inspection is still advisable to look for signs of fungal infection. If you noticed something unusual from the trees, don’t hesitate to let your arborist know.
Sometimes, it takes two to four days before the signs show us, so try to look around and see if weird mushrooms and other fungi are growing on your trees. Once the arborist knows the case, they can easily treat them, given that the infection is in the early stage.
Unfortunately, there are instances when owners act too late, and the tree starts to decay.
6. Implement pest control measures
During your prior observation, ensure that there are no pests around the trees. If there are, don’t hesitate to make necessary pest control measures.
If it’s your first time dealing with pests, you can consult with your arborist so they can give you the right pesticides. On the other hand, you can let them take care of it since they know the accurate pest control measures.
7. Give extra support to young trees
Young and small trees may not have the same strength as the older ones. So before the rainy season comes, don’t forget to stake or tie them for additional support. Usually, trees that are one year old and below should be given extra support during these times of heavy rains.
However, when you put stakes on young trees, observe regularly if they’re not damaging the trees.
We hope this article helps you get started with implementing property tree care during the rainy seasons. If you want to add more tips, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aliana Baraquio is a web content writer working for Sydney Tree Solutions, a company that provides tree removal and arborist services throughout Sydney. As a writer, she is passionate about providing good quality articles that help readers make the right choice.