TREE EDUCATION
As school lets out and the weather heats up, it makes sense that Florida families want to spend their summers outdoors. Whether at the pool, beach, local springs, or even in their own backyards, Gainesville locals use the summer as an opportunity to embrace the outdoors and enjoy the scenic beauty of their natural landscape.
To ensure that your nature viewing experience is undisturbed this summer, it is important for homeowners and commercial business owners to transition from spring maintenance to summer tree care. Otherwise, the sweltering heat can lead to symptoms of heat stress—negatively impacting your tree's growth and appearance.
At SkyFrog Tree Service, our board-certified arborists can perform a tree risk assessment of your property. With this information, we can develop a personalized tree management plan that is designed to protect your backyard from pests and diseases. Contact us today to schedule tailored Gainesville tree care services.
At high temperatures, certain trees are unable to take in the amount of water they need to function. Without enough water, the tree will begin to close its leaves and slow growth. This process can make the tree vulnerable to pests and diseases.
If your tree is displaying curling, wilting, thinning, or scorched leaves, then it may be impacted by heat stress. Monitor your tree's leaves and bark during the summer for early signs of heat stress and sunscald, and contact our North Florida tree care company as soon as possible to prevent further damage.
Mulching is an easy and cost-effective way to help trees retain moisture. By strategically applying wood chips or bark around the tree's base, homeowners can reduce water evaporation, cool the soil, and prevent the growth of weeds.
When spreading mulch around a tree, do not clump the mulch in a pile against the trunk. Leave a one-inch space between the trunk and the mulch in order to prevent rot and pests.
Rather than watering every day, Gainesville homeowners should water their trees deeply and infrequently. Deep watering works best during the early morning, when evaporation is minimized and blazing temperatures have yet to strike. Depending on the weather, trees should be watered about once or twice a week.
Young trees should be watered more regularly than mature trees. By completely soaking the soil, deep watering can help encourage the development of strong root systems—thus preparing trees in the event of a drought.
Professional tree trimming and pruning reduces the amount of water a tree needs. It is advised to schedule pruning services in late spring to early summer, or when the tree is least likely to be stressed. Our SkyFrog Tree Service arborists use professional pruning equipment and PPE to safely remove dead branches from mature trees.
Tree species that are native to North Florida are not only heat-tolerant—they are beautiful as well! Species such as Live Oak, Southern Magnolia, and Bald Cypress are already adapted to the water requirements, soil pH, and sun exposure of the North Florida ecosystem. As such, they require less maintenance in order to survive the sweltering heat of a Gainesville summer.
6115 SW 137th Avenue, Archer, FL 32618