4 Seasons of Tree & Plant Care Tips

Spring

• Prune your rose bushes
• Power rake, fertilize and aerate lawns
• Deep root fertilize your trees and shrubs
• Hazard prune deciduous trees when foliage has emerged
• Inspect and spray shade trees for pests and funguses
• Prune spring flowering shrubs
• Remove old stumps
• Perform any landscape installations

Summer

• Ensure your trees and plants are appropriately watered
• Maintain (prune and shear) your hedges and ornamental conifers
• Summer prune shade trees for light filtration
• Mulch trees and gardens to retain moisture during dry summer months
• Fertilize lawns, rhododendrons and shrubs
• Grind and/or remove any stumps
• Consider any tree removals at this time

Fall

• Inspect shade trees for rot and weaknesses before winter storms arrive
• Cable brace and tie susceptible limbs to prevent snow and wind damage
• Treat trees with copper spray
• Hazard and spiral prune trees for wind filtration
• Consider and act on any necessary tree removals
• Install new trees and transplants
• Seed new lawns
• Aerate and fertilize your lawns

Winter

• Pruning and thinning pines while dormant (otherwise the sap will attract pine beetles)
• Mulching your plant beds to insulate roots from the cold
• Dormant spraying of your trees, shrubs, and garden with lime and sulfur
• Reparation of any winter storm damage
• Hard wood removals and pruning

• January
  Now is the time for your hardwoods, shrubs or pine trees to be thinning and cleaned up for spring. The interior structures are clearly recognized and thinning is easily performed this time of year. With the added benefit, the trees respond in the spring, with vigorous new growth.

• February
  This is the time of year when we focus on the thinning and pruning of your evergreens. Completing at this time is very important to protect you pine trees from pine beetle infestation. Too often we see inexperienced workmanship at the cost of the tree. Ensuring your pine trees are pruned at the right time of year will keep them healthy and your trees free from the effects of pine beetle and other pests.

• March
  In March your landscape begins to wake up, trees and shrubs being to form buds that will burst into new growth. This is a great time of year to have your mulch removed from your roses and shrubs, to prepare for the warmer weather. Book your fertilization and dormant oil application for your trees. Dormant oil is an effective treatment to inhibit spring pests from getting the bite on your landscape. Cody Tree Service can provide a plan for the complete care of your landscape.

• April
  By now your trees should be displaying their new growth and beginning to flourish. This is a great time to take a close look into your yard at the trees and shrubs to ensure the plants are waking and in good condition. This is when the critters in your garden really begin to stir and we can help! Call for pest identification and our vast array of treatment option, from organic to non-organics, we can help you take control of YOUR yard.

• May
  Hedges and topiaries, as well as general maintenance, are all performed at this time of year. This is a great time to take stock of your roses, as the blossoms should be ready to bloom. Look for aphids or white fly; this is the time when they become very active. Our highly trained professionals are here to help.

• June
  June can be a tricky time of year, it is warm and sunny, small problems can suddenly become large, very quickly. The best way to avoid problems is a walk through your yard. Early detection is key, problems left untreated, suddenly are a much larger problem and a sickly specimen. We can help; our professionals will identify and provide solutions.

• July
  This can be one of the hardest times of year on your trees, with the onset of hot weather and dry conditions, water and nutrients are paramount. This is when Cody Tree Service can help with deep root fertilization; our proprietary products will ship your trees into shape and bring them back in line. Pruning at this time of year can be a benefit as a light thinning can help provide more light to adjacent plants, as well as give the added benefit of growth suppression.

• August
  Here we see the first hints of your trees and landscape beginning to change for the autumn season. A final thinning of your fruit trees (we call it the “rule of thumb”), making sure your fruit is set at least one thumb width apart on plums and two for apples or larger fruiting trees. A final application of pesticide should be contemplated now before the harvest of exceptional fruit.

• September
  Trees are beginning to enter dormancy and your shrubs begin to take on their fall appearance. Application of mulches and fertilizer will sustain them through to the winter. This is a great time of year to call your Cody Tree professional and take a walk through your yard to prepare a winter pruning plan.

• October
  By this time of year, your landscape is in its full fall glory and your bulbs and plants should be put to bed. This is a great time of year to remove any trees or shrubs for your new spring landscape plan. Your yard will be ready for the transformation you plan through the winter, giving you the jump start on spring.

• November
  With the onset of winter final preparations should be completed, such as mulch in place for roses and deer fencings in place. Deer are one of the leading causes of over winter damage. Cody Tree Service provides deer management solutions to protect your landscape, including deer fencing installation in the fall and removal in the spring; we’re here to help you protect your landscape investment.

• December
  Hardwood pruning and shrub maintenance is in full swing at this time of year and our team of highly skilled arborists are hard at work. While you’re in the comfort of your warm home, corrective pruning and maintenance is well under way, leaving your landscape ready for another year of exceptional growth and enjoyment. Call a Cody Tree professional for your consultation and book your winter maintenance now, so your trees are in fabulous condition in the spring.