‘From the Ground Up’: Give your trees TLC

Trees are precious resources and practicing good basic tree care can help deter diseases from affecting our trees.

Spring is a good time for certain pruning, but take note not to prune Oak trees now. Oaks should only be trimmed between November and February since open wounds now can invite oak wilt. It's also best not to trim Maple trees now because of the intense sap flow. Wait to trim the Maples in June. When trimming trees allow the tree to heal itself, don't apply anything to the wound.

When mowing around trees take care not to hit the tree with your mower or weed whip. Just underneath the bark is the cambium, the lifeline of your tree. The cambium allows nutrients and moisture to flow through the tree, delivering nutrients made by the leaves to the roots. If the cambium is injured it's comparable to cutting a vein in the body. The cambium is often less than 1/4 inch thick so what may appear to be a minor cut can be devastating. The best way to avoid mowing or trimming under trees is to mulch around trees. Apply mulch all the way out to the drip line (where the branches end) of your tree. Tree roots are usually only 6 to 24 inches deep in the ground and mulching helps to prevent turf grass competition with tree nutrients.

When applying mulch, don't mound the mulch up around the trunk of the tree. This can cause too much moisture to the bark which could result in mold and fungal diseases. Instead, pull the much back from the trunk of the tree and mound it in a doughnut shape around the tree. The old saying is ' Mulch like a dough nut not a volcano.”

Don't wrap wire, string or other materials around your trees. This can strangle a tree, even if it looks loose. Never nail or screw anything to your trees as this injures the cambium. However, trees will quickly grow and envelope the object.

If you have flowering trees such as pear, crabapple or redbud you won't hurt the tree by cutting some of the blossoms for indoor enjoyment. Just cut branches with a sharp knife or scissors, never break or tear them, which can cause an open wound sussesptible to insects or disease.

If your trees were wrapped for winter with paper or tubing now is the time to remove it. The wrapping is meant to protect tree from splitting the bark in freeze and thaw situations. Leaving the wrapping on will allow condensation to occur this summer and weaken the bark. Summer is when the bark needs to be exposed to sunlight and harden off.

Most importantly visually inspect your trees from time to time. Many situations can be corrected if caught early.

' For gardening questions, call the Linn County Extension Master Gardener Hortline at (319) 447-0647.