Spring Care for your Trees and Shrubs

As your trees and shrubs begin to come out of dormancy and prepare for a new growing season there are some things you can do to encourage healthy growing.

Have a look at the condition of your trees and shrubs. Look for broken or hanging branches, dieback, damage (cracks, splits, oozing wounds) and browning. Any potential tree hazards in City trees can be reported by calling 311.

For assistance with trees:

• on private propertycontact a Certified Arborist

• on City property - call 311 or 709-754-CITY

• around power linescontact NL Power 1-800-663-2802

Tips to promote a healthy growing season for your trees and shrubs

Clean up and remove old leaves around your trees. Some tree diseases such as tar spot, will overwinter in fallen leaves. It is best to remove the leaves from the site and avoid mulching or burning them. The best option is to put them in paper yard waste bags and place them at the curb on the same day as your recycling day, May to November.

Have your trees and shrubs fertilized. In urban environments, soils are often lacking the proper nutrients for optimal growth. Fertilizer provides your trees and shrubs with the nutrients that are required and specific to your plant. There are many fertilizer options available. Contact a professional to determine your plants’ specific requirements.

Apply a layer of organic much.

A properly applied layer of mulch will help regulate soil temperature (in summer and winter), increase soil fertility, improve soil biology, provide aeration, reduce moisture loss and reduce the likelihood of damage from lawnmowers and trimmers. Avoid applying too thick of a layer, and while dyed mulches are aesthetically nice, they are not recommended for trees/shrubs.

Prune your trees and shrubs.

Spring pruning is best if done before new growth develops. Remove no more than 10% of the plant and get rid of dieback/winterkill and broken and diseased sections. To encourage new spring growth, pruning is best done in the winter.