Having shade trees on your landscaping has many wonderful benefits. Underneath a large shade tree is the perfect place for a backyard barbeque or for kids to play outside. It will also keep your home cooler when temperatures rise.

To get the full benefit of shade trees, you need to plant the correct species of tree and care for them properly.

NE Tree Trimming has recommendations for the best trees to plant for shade, as well as some expert advice on caring for your shade trees so they grow healthy and strong.

Planting Trees for Shade

Any tree can technically provide shade, but there are some types of trees that are built for the best shade. These types of trees usually have a thick, wider canopy that extends out nearly as far as it does upward.

In the following parapgraphs, we’ve provided some examples of shade trees based on whether they would be best suited for your back or front yard.

Back Yard Shade Trees

Shade trees in the back yard are primarily for the homeowner’s benefit. Next-door neighbors and passersby probably won’t see these trees , so they can be planted purely for your enjoyment.

In addition to shade, these trees can create year-round color as well as some extra privacy.

Here are a few popular options:

• Magnolia
• Sugar maple or silver maple
• Weeping willow
• Weeping cherry
• Red oak

If you have the space, a live oak is another fantastic choice. Live oaks are said to be the fastest growing shade trees, and are able to get very large. An older live oak can reach up to 80 feet tall and up to 100 feet wide.

A lot of these back yard tree suggestions get very large, so you need to do your research to determine if the tree is going to have enough space to reach maturity.

If there is not enough room, the tree’s root system can destroy your fencing or home. You will also have to prune the tree every year to keep it from being overgrown. A tree that is too large for its location will probably have to be removed, which is an inconvenient and sometimes expensive situation.

Front Yard Shade Trees

In the front yard of your home, you are planting trees for your enjoyment as well, but they will be a lot more impactful for increasing curb appeal and value to your home than the back yard trees.

Purchase shade trees for the front yard that are a little smaller so they don’t overpower your home. These trees should pair with your landscaping in color and size, while still creating plenty of shade for front yard relaxation and play.

These are some of our favorites:

Red maple
River birch
Dogwood
White oak
Ginkgo tree

These trees are colorful throughout the year, and they’ll showcase even more color in the fall months.
Another excellent option for your front or side yard is the ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae. This hedge-like tree can be planted in a row with others to create privacy as well as shade.

With these suggestions in mind, we recommend that you plant trees you like. In all honesty, any tree can grow to become a “shade tree.” As long as the trees you choose are suitable for the weather in Nebraska, they will provide your yard and home with shade.

Benefits of Planting Shade Trees

The reasons to have shade n your yard are numerous — and there are a few that you maybe don’t automatically think about.

Shade, Obviously – When temperatures get too hot, you won’t need to hide indoors if you have a comfortable, shady yard. Place a chair or hammock under your biggest shade tree and relax outside as long as you like.

Climate Control – Trees can help regulate the temperature in your yard and inside your home. Not only do trees protect you from the glaring sun, but they can make it feel 10-15 degrees colder under their protective canopies. This results in less solar radiation on your home as well, which could result in lowering your energy costs!

Better Air Quality – Trees produce oxygen and remove pollutantsfrom the air, so there is cleaner air around your home. Arbor Day Foundation research reports that one mature tree absorbs around 48 pounds of CO2 out of the air.

Shelter for Animals – If you’re into bird watching or think squirrels and chipmunks are cute, your trees can give them all they will need to build a habitat, find nearby food and raise babies.

Fun – What child doesn’t love a backyard tire swing or tree house? If you have children, shade trees can provide hours of fun and joyful memories.

How to Care for Shade Trees

Maintaining shade trees is pretty easy as long as you’ve planted the right species for the climate in Nebraska. Healthy trees are strong and hardy after a couple of years, needing little attention or care.

Consult a certified arborist from NE Tree Trimming if you have any questions about how to care for your trees, or even to help you determine the best tree for your yard.

Once you have determined the best shade tree(s) for your yard, follow this simple care guide until your shade tree is well established.

Planting Your Shade Tree

The east, west and south sides of your property get the most sun, so plant your trees on one of these areas of your yard. This is two-fold: 1) the trees will create the maximum amount of shade and 2) they will also receive the maximum amount of sun to grow healthy.

Trimming Your Shade Tree

Trim during the first year or two after planting the tree in order to shape it and help it form a strong foundation. To be safe, and for the best results, call NE Tree Trimming for tree trimming in Nebraska. A certified arborist will arrive at your home and deliver professional care for the tree.

Watering Your Shade Tree

Watering a new tree is crucial. This helps them form a deep root system and will give the tree more stability over the course of its lifetime.

Fertilizing Your Shade Tree

Homeowners should fertilize a shade tree just like you would any other type of tree in order to support healthy growth. Fertilizer is not a requirement, but it can help your tree to grow faster and produce more leaves, which are the source of your shade.

We hope this information was helpful! Remember, when it comes time to prune or trim a new shade tree, NE Tree Trimming can help! Call us and a certified arborist in Nebraska will visit your property, examine the tree and lay out the best care plan for its long-term health and growth.

Tree trimming is best left to the pros. It’s dangerous work, climbing trees, wielding chainsaws and lowering heavy branches to the ground; and it can also be dangerous for the tree too. Trees that aren’t pruned the right way can experience a lifetime of issues.

Rather than putting yourself in harm’s way and putting the tree at risk, hire someone who is knowledgeable and experienced to do the job for you.

This will lead to healthier trees and a safer environment surrounding your landscaping for many reasons:

• Healthier trees are sturdier and less likely to cause damage during severe storms
• Cared for trees won’t attract or spread diseases and parasites
• Trimmed trees grow more flowers or fruit
• Trimmed trees offer shade and allow air to flow throughout their canopies and your property

NE Tree Trimming strongly encourages pruning trees that are near your home or any that are an integral part of your property.

Is Tree Trimming Necessary?

It is not necessary. But it is important. Trees are hardy and can survive on their own everywhere in the world, in various different climates and locations, without being trimmed.

However, there are several benefits of tree trimming, so it’s highly recommended for trees that you value. This includes sentimental trees, fruit trees and flowering trees or trees that offer an important job for your home, such as shade or wildlife habitat.

Tree Trimming Gone Wrong

Pruning a tree is a complex project. You need the right equipment and a lot of knowledge to guarantee the job is done correctly. The vast majority of homeowners don’t have any of these!

But that’s not a problem, because there are many services available who know how to correctly prune trees for an affordable cost to you including all of the certified arborists in Nebraska we partner with!

Here are the 5 mistakes homeowners make when attempting DIY tree pruning that can lead to many tree problems. These are things that an experienced arborist from NE Tree Trimming will know, and that’s the reason why their services are worth paying for!

Trimming Too Much

When done the right way, tree pruning is an ongoing process. Starting when your trees are just 2 or 3 years old, they should be looked after by an arborist if you value them and desire to keep them healthy.

A big mistake that homeowners often make when pruning trees themselves is cutting too much of the tree at a time. This happens because they let the tree’s growth get out of control and try to correct it all at once. Ideally, you should only cut off 5-20% of the tree’s crown at the actual removal cut. It is easier to do this during a time of year that there are no leaves, but a certified arborist is able to properly trim trees any time of year.

Cutting at the Wrong Place

A certified tree specialist knows exactly where to trim each limb to protect against damage. This cut should be made just beyond the branch collar, the exact place where the branch connects to the trunk.

Cutting too close to the branch collar exposes the tree to insects, decay and mildew. Cutting too far away from it leaves a stump when the tree recovers. Most DIY tree trimming results in an improper cut, leaving either aesthetic or structural issues.

Trimming Big Branches

Branches larger than 4 inches in diameter really shouldn’t be trimmed unless it is absolutely necessary. Cutting off a branch of this size can result in imbalance in the tree and expose it to pests and rodents and decay as the tree recovers from such a large loss.

Conservative trimming every year guarantees that the tree service company only has to remove branches that are 2-3 inches in diameter, which produces a more attractive shape for the tree and less risk of hurting the tree or exposing it to disease and insects.

Topping the Tree

Tree topping is an outdated type of pruning, and for good reason! With this process, arborists would just cut the top off of the tree to achieve the desired height. It was neither attractive nor was it beneficial for the tree, so the majority of arborists do not practice tree topping currently.

As a DIY tree trimming, you may think this is an easy way to reduce the height of your tree with only one cut, but once you have cut off the top of a tree, there’s virtually no chance that it will ever regain a natural shape.

The Solution? Call NE Tree Trimming

Let’s face it. Your tree may never recover from poor trimming.

Doing this project yourself might seem like a way to save money, but you might end up with way more cost trying to revive damaged trees, so it’s much safer (and more economical in the long run) to hire a certified arborist in Nebraska from NE Tree Trimming.

Limbs aren’t going to grow back. The tree will grow more, but not in the same places, which can lead to shapes that might take years to correct. The tree could look bad for the remainder of its life, all because of a single pruning mistake.

Bad pruning could also cause death of the tree. Removing too many branches (and, therefore, leaves) can alter the tree’s photosynthesis process, meaning it won’t get enough water or enough carbon dioxide and sunlight to continue growing.

Cutting off too many branches might also send the tree into a state of shock. Shock can be overcome, but it does take a lot of patience and care. Even with proper care, a tree undergoing shock may still die.

Avoid all of these tree trimming mistakes and call NE Tree Trimming to speak with a tree care specialist in Nebraska able to devise a long-term plan to ensure your tree continues to blossom and look beautiful for years to come!

Trees are living things, so it stands to reason that they can get “sick” just like humans and animals. A disease or other tree issue might take a while to show up because of the overall size of the tree, and once you notice a symptom, it could be too late to revive the tree.

A professional arborist from NE Tree Trimming can diagnose and treat tree issues so that you have a much greater chance of saving the tree. Learn about our service here. Not only can an experienced arborist prevent a tree from dying, but they are also able to help trees get more healthy growth and more flowers or fruit with professional tree pruning.

Have you ever noticed a tree on your property that has always seemed healthy but suddenly looks like something is wrong? In the next section, we’ll explain some of the most typical tree issues and what these symptoms mean for a tree.

If you notice any of these things, act fast to have the best chance of saving the tree and the ones nearby it.

Tree Diseases & Common Problems

These 7 things are the most common issues addressed by certified arborists in Nebraska. Once you think one of these things could be wrong with your tree, reach out to someone with the knowledge and tools to help!

Tree Diseases

Leaf Rust – Leaf rust is actually a fungus that is very common in both plants and trees. The name originates from the yellow and brown spots this disease creates on the leaves.

Leaf rust is a problem because it interferes with the leaves’ photosynthesis, the process by which it breathes. Leaf rust can be tended to with fungicides and selective tree trimming of the diseased leaves. It could be recommended to cut off whole limbs with leaf rust.

Witches’ Broom – This disease results in a large clump of twigs, dead leaves and branches that form a a broom shape. It is caused by insects, unusually rainy weather or fungus. The construction of a clump of twigs and leaves is the tree’s reaction to infection or harm.

Some cases of Witches’ Broom are fatal for the tree, others are simply considered a growth malformation. An arborist can tell you for sure.

Mildew – Mildew is a fungus that grows on almost anything in wet conditions, but even when the moist conditions are gone, mildew can persist and thrive. Mildew appears as a powdery substance, typically white, and it usually shows up on the leaves of the tree first.

The the best method for eliminating mildew is to use a fungicide that includes sulfur. This will remove the current mildew and help to stop future mildew on the tree. You may also need to prune the tree to remove limbs, fruit, flowers and any leaves that have been affected by the mildew

Gall – Gall is a tree disease that happens when insects build small nests on the leaves or branches of a tree to leave their eggs in. Most types of galls are not dangerous for the tree, but none of them are attractive.

Gall will appear as bumps on the tree, in various sizes. They are often white, brown, gray or some shade in between.

It is not necessary to treat the tree if there are galls, but they can affect the growth of new trees. Treat galls by killing the insects. You should also clean out from under the tree when the leaves fall off, because this is where the insects live during winter.

Other Tree Problems

Improper Trimming – There’s an art to tree pruning, as well as many types, and if you aren’t sure how to do it, you could harm the tree beyond recovery. Consider the type of tree, season and other factors. Under-pruning (or a lack of pruning at all) is just as big of an issue. Only an experienced arborist should be trusted to prune trees in order to keep them healthy.

Lack of Water – New trees can be severely affected by drought. If you plant new trees on your property, you will probably have to supplement how much water they get from rainfall. A tree that is not getting enough water will have its growth stunted. The first symptom you are likely to see is scorched or dry leaves. Find more tips for new trees here.

Too Much Sun – Do your research before planting trees in a sunny area of your property. Most species of trees can handle it without issue, but too much sun can become a problem for any tree if the sun is too hot for an extended period of time and rainfall is light. A tree that is getting excessive sun needs even more water to fight against wilting, drooping leaves.

Certified Arborist Services in Nebraska

A certified arborist from NE Tree Trimming will be able to quickly diagnose what’s happening with your sick tree and formulate a plan to save it.

Here are the things an arborist is trained to do:

• Inspect trees from below and from the limbs of the tree if necessary. Getting into the canopy is usually necessary to identify exactly what is creating the symptoms.
• Treat your tree with fertilizers and additives in the soil or products applied to the leaves. This person will have knowledge about the disease affecting your tree and the best treatments for it.
• Prune tree limbs to eliminate dead or damaged branches and to assist healthy growth. Even if heavy pruning is needed, they will know how to remove branches so that the tree can survive both the issue and the trimming.
• Remove the tree from your lawn if nothing can be done to save it. The worst case scenario is that the tree is dying, and cutting it down is the only choice to protect your home and surrounding landscape.

Arborists can also inform you about the trees that you have and how to best maintain them so you don’t find yourself in the same situation again.

Many tree diseases look very similar to each other, requiring a professional opinion to correctly determine and treat the issue. If your trees are looking dry, unhealthy or disfigured, call a professional arborist from NE Tree Trimming for an inspection before it’s too late.

When it comes to the question, “Which season is best for tree trimming?” The answer will likely be vague.

The type of tree usually dictates when many species can be pruned, along with insect population and activity, local tree and plant diseases and other species of plants and trees in the yard.

With the guidance of a professional arborist in Nebraska, you will be able to determine what season is optimal for pruning your trees to prepare them for success next season and beyond.

Best Season to Prune Trees

Without any other information, NE Tree Trimming recommends tree trimming during the winter. This ranges from November to March in most areas. Winter is best because the trees are mostly dormant, so pruning will lead to a minimal amount of harm, if any.

There are a lot of benefits to pruning trees during the winter:

Lower chance of insect damage and disease – Pests and plant diseases are largely inactive in the winter in Nebraska. During the rest of the year, everything from insects to fungus can harm a freshly trimmed tree because the tree is most vulnerable and these issues thrive in warmer weather.

Easier to see the shape of the tree when there are no leaves – Leaves prevent your arborist from seeing the complete shape of the tree. When the branches are bare, it is much easier to see dead or diseased limbs and branches that are touching versus those that are just close together.

Trees have time to heal before spring – By doing this major pruning during the winter, your trees have several months to build up callus tissue on the tips of the remaining branch collar. By the spring season, you’ll hardly be able to tell where the branches were trimmed, and the tree will be able to devote its energy to produce brand new leaves, fruit or flowers rather than healing new cuts.

Less chance of harming nearby landscaping – Most of the surrounding trees and plants will also be dormant, so there is a lower risk of them. Many times, a tree is surrounded by annual plants in the warmer months, but there are no plants to be disturbed in the winter since these annuals have already died out.

Do All Trees Need Trimming?

Yes, all trees will benefit from routine trimming. Tree pruning every winter is good for the trees, but it is also a precaution for the safety of your property and your family. Let us explain:

Trimming Makes the Tree Stronger

Dead and diseased branches are cut off, as are stubs that are susceptible to pests and disease. Branches that can rub against each other are also pruned so that they don’t weaken each other or create an open wound on the tree.

Pruning trees every year is also a good way to get expert eyes on your trees so that early warning signs of decay, disease and pest infestations can be identified and handled right away.

A Well-Maintained Tree Serves Its Purpose Better

When a tree becomes overgrown, it’s hard for water and nutrients to get to every limb. This can leave the tree looking scraggly and sick and definitely not doing what it’s meant to do.

Pruned trees, on the other hand, produce more fruit, healthier leaves and better shade. They are fuller and healthier and less likely to create landscaping problems. So regardless of why you planted a new tree, routine trimming each winter will improve the results you desire from it.

Trees are More Beautiful After Trimming

If the view of your landscaping is important to you, tree trimming is a necessity! Pruning trees results in an attractive, uniform shape and size. This is important if you have several identical trees on your property.

Cutting off lower branches and upper branches that grow at improper angles improves the overall beauty of the tree while also strengthening tree health.

Less Risk of Falling Branches

Tree trimming – from an arborist – helps the remaining branches to grow stronger and healthier. Therefore, storms and high winds won’t damage your trees the way they would an unkempt tree. Your home and family will be safer living under and around pruned trees.

Another safety concern for overgrown trees is that they can impede the view of traffic lights, road signs and driveways. Tree pruning, crown raising and other specialized tree care services will keep the tree at a good size and stop it from blocking various views.

Call NE Tree Trimming for Tree Trimming

Working with a professional arborist in Nebraska gives you access to their expert knowledge on the subject of tree trimming. We highly recommend relying on their expertise if you have trees on your property that you’d like to keep healthy for a long time.

An arborist won’t only look at the current situation. Instead, an experienced arborist will take the time to research your trees and understand their unique scenario (including their location and other factors that may put them at risk). After collecting all the information, an arborist will create a long-term plan based on your trees’ needs and stick to that course of action until your goals for your trees are achieved.

This plan might take many years to implement, but rest assured, it will lead to healthy trees that you and your family can enjoy for many years to come.

This kind of annual care will result in healthy tree growth, help your landscaping fight off plant diseases and increase fruit or flower production from trees. It will also strengthen your trees so there is not as much risk of falling trees or limbs.

Being proactive about tree care will save you a lot of money as well. Preventative maintenance is much more affordable than the cost of emergency tree services, storm damage cleanup or restoring an ill tree from a disease that has spread out of control (and one that was easily preventable).

If you care about the health of your trees and the beauty of your property, trust a certified arborist for tree trimming and maintenance from NE Tree Trimming. Discover our service area here. We work with arborists across the entire state of Nebraska. Call today!

Tree pruning in Nebraska is an important landscaping service that can beautify and reinforce trees so they will withstand insects, diseases and severe weather – and look wonderful while doing it!

Pruning must be done if you want healthy trees, but it has to be done properly by someone who knows what they’re doing. Like a certified arborist from NE Tree Trimming. Homeowners may be able to prune trees safely while they are small and growing, but you also may be doing irreparable harm to the tree in the process.

To safely prune trees, you should know all of the following:

• When to prune your types of trees
• How much of the tree should be pruned at at once
• Where to cut each branch so you do not damage the tree

Pruning too much off of a tree can kill it or cause structural damage, but precise pruning done annually benefits trees in many ways. Pruning improves the appearance of trees, makes them healthier, removes dying or diseased portions and increases fruit or flower production.

For the best results, pruning should be completed once a year, but as trees mature, you may be able to wait two years between major pruning services. Regardless of how often you have your trees trimmed, be sure your arborist is qualified to perform the type of tree pruning your trees need. This won’t be an issue if you call NE Tree Trimming in Nebraska!

Types of Tree Pruning Methods

There are 7 ways to correctly trim a tree so that it grows healthier and stronger each year.

Depending on the size, species and health concerns of your trees, one pruning method could be more beneficial than another, but each technique has different benefits.

Crown Thinning Your Trees

Crown thinning is popular for older, overgrown trees in Nebraska. This method eliminates weak branches within the crown of the tree to allow more sunlight and air flow through the crown. Air flow is especially important to help prevent disease.

This pruning technique also eliminates branches and limbs that are touching so they do not rub up against each other and snap or cause weaker areas that can be an entry point for insects and pests. Branches that grow at odd angles are typically removed during crown thinning.

Crown Raising Your Trees

This tree pruning technique only removes branches at the lower part of the crown so new limbs start higher up on the trunk of the tree. Letting low branches get too large makes them difficult to cut off, and they can pull nutrients from the top of the tree, resulting in less fruit and a weak tree.

There are several reasons you may choose to raise the crown of a tree. Frequently, it is done in order to clear the line of sight for cars and pedestrians, but it can be done to create space for landscaping beneath the tree.

It is a very common technique for large trees that are too close to homes and buildings.

Crown Reduction

Crown reduction reduces the total size of the tree’s crown from its outer edges. It shortens limbs vertically and horizontally to maintain the tree at a certain size. By lowering the size of the crown, you can eliminate the need to cut down the tree because it won’t interfere with traffic lights, power lines or street lights.

Even if the tree isn’t close to structures like those listed above, crown reduction will help the tree look neater because it also eliminates irregular growth. This is a smart idea for trees that are different ages but are supposed to look consistent.

Crown Cleaning

Sometimes known as deadwood pruning, crown cleaning is a minimally invasive pruning technique that eliminates dead, broken or diseased branches so that the rest of the tree can continue to grow normally. These limbs can only cause issues in the future.

Crown cleaning helps to make the tree look a lot better, and it stops branches from rubbing together. It is also a safety practice that reduces the chance of falling branches, since healthy branches do not usually fall.

Crown Restoration

Crown restoration is an intense trimming method for trees that have been severely damaged (either by pests or weather). It must be attempted by a certified arborist who knows how the tree is likely to grow in the future and roughly just how long it’s restoration will take.

Unlike most other tree pruning services, crown restoration occurs over a longer period of time with conservative trimming that reshapes the tree. Your arborist should have a definitive plan to restore the tree, but also must be flexible as the tree begins to grow and reshape on its own, working with the tree’s new growth.

Vista Pruning

If you want trees to increase the beauty of your landscaping, you are probably interested in vista pruning. The intent of vista pruning is to help to make the tree more aesthetically pleasing from a particular vantage point.

It encompasses several pruning techniques including crown thinning, crown cleaning and crown reduction – any technique that helps the trees look more attractive. Remember, though, that a professional is not going to compromise the health of a tree, so the focus of vista pruning is still to maintain strong, healthy trees.

Espalier Pruning

Espaliered trees are pruned heavily to grow flat against walls or a trellis. It is a different style of trimming that will attract a lot of attention to your lawn. Espalier pruning must begin when the tree is young and then done consistently throughout the tree’s life span.

Benefits of espalier pruning include allowing maximum sunlight to reach the trees, as well as making it easier to harvest fruit.

Professional Tree Pruning in Nebraska

Tree pruning can be dangerous for a tree, your landscaping, and, of course, for you! NE Tree Trimming highly suggests professional tree pruning over attempting DIY.

Aside from the many dangers of tree trimming, you can do a lot of harm to a tree if you don’t prune it correctly. Over-pruning is one of the most typical errors made by homeowners maintaining their own trees.

Trees in Nebraska that get routine care from a professional are usually much better off, and hiring a certified arborist from NE Tree Trimming to care for the trees on your property is a decision you won’t regret. Locate your town in our service area. We work with arborists throughout the entire state of Nebraska!

Planting trees on your land has several benefits. Trees create summer shade, create privacy, filter polluted air and increase property value. Everyone should plant trees.

Once full-grown, most trees are simple to care for: another benefit! Trees are durable and tend to grow despite minimal care. But, if you want to see your trees achieve their potential, they need more effort.

Lack of care for young trees might lead to rotting, disease, under watering or pest issues.

Fortunately, caring for trees isn’t very difficult, but you will want a little information to do it correctly. Familiarize yourself with the trees you plant to know what they need to succeed. Then care for them and watch them flourish.

Here, we’ll describe the five best tips on how to plant a new tree and seeing it grow. You likely are familiar with the basics, so we’ll dive a little deeper and explain how to do each step correctly.

Tree Care Tips for New Trees

These tips will not only help keep your trees alive, they’ll help them grow faster, withstand extreme gusts of wind, fight off diseases ,insects and pests and produce more leaves, flowers or fruit.

Water Your Tree

New trees need more water than older ones. The trees you plant on your property are no exception.

The root of the tree and the soil surrounding it should be kept moist, but don’t let it get too wet, as this can cause the roots to rot.

The rule of thumb is 4-10 gallons of water every week. This includes rain water, and although it’s challenging to get an exact reading, a rain gauge can help get you close enough to add the remaining gallons. Your trees need this much water for the first 2-3 growing seasons.

Mulch Around Your Trees

Mulch is much more than an attractive lawn care material. It actually helps protect new trees, especially the roots. But laying mulch incorrectly can sometimes result in rotting and decay – so much so, in fact, that it’s possible that the new tree will not survive.

Place mulch exactly 3 inches away from the trunk of the tree and spread it out to completely cover the ground underneath the longest horizontal branch. For new trees, this isn’t going to be very far, but as the tree continues to grow, your mulch area will grow substantially.

Keep the mulch no less than 2 to 4 inches thick in all areas. Be attentive in spreading it out consistently and away from the trunk of the tree so it does not impede air flow around the tree trunk.

Fertilize Around Your Tree

Fertilizer provides the nutrients your soil might not have naturally. Most young trees benefit from fertilizing, but you have to use the correct products and doing it at the right time for fertilizer to be most beneficial.

The best season to fertilize is early spring. Sometimes early summer also provides the right conditions (mild temperatures and wet soil), but don’t count on it.

If you aren’t sure about which type of fertilizer to use, consult a tree care specialist for recommendations. Slow-release fertilizers are often a good idea because they feed trees over time rather than all right away.

Follow through with these things in the first few growing seasons after planting a tree, and then review your watering, mulching and fertilizing as the tree gets older. As seasons go on, there will be additional tree care tasks that are more important for your young trees.

Prune Your Tree

Tree pruning is very important – yet very tricky – in the first years after planting a new tree. As the tree grows bigger, you will start to see many small branches take off, competing to become the tree’s trunk. While you may think this means that the tree is healthy and that it is growing well, but it can actually result in a very weak tree over time.

Early pruning helps to shape the tree into what it is going to ultimately look like when it is much larger. As small limbs emerge from the lower trunk, they must be removed so they don’t suck water and nutrients away from the branches at the top.

As long as there are trees on your land, they need to be pruned periodically. When the trees get too large for you to trim them safely, you can count on NE Tree Trimming to do it for you.

Monitor Your Tree

Young trees are at the highest risk for damage, disease and pest problems. But you’re never truly safe from these issues. As your tree gets older, watch it carefully for evidence of disease or bad nutrition, including the following:

• Leaf color changing out of season, with leaves turning yellow or brown
• Premature leaf drop, despite whether these leaves appear healthy or sick
• Withering, even with proper watering
• Individual branches or limbs dying
• Peeling bark

These signs indicate a health issue. The tree is probably going to need professional maintenance if your hope is to save the tree. An experienced arborist can usually identify the problem by just looking at the tree, although they will perform testing if necessary.

If you identify the issue quick enough, you will likely be able to save the tree from dying. Being proactive is the best way to protect growing trees.

The steps above are simple yet effective. Don’t underestimate the importance of the basics! When your new trees have pruning, fertilizer and more,, combined with some sunshine and barring severe, damaging weather, the chances are probable that they will survive and will look wonderful too!

Of course, you could already have a very busy schedule and don’t want to take on these additional tasks. In some cases, property owners don’t have the physical ability to give their growing trees the necessary care.

Whatever the situation, it’s ok to contact a professional for caring for new trees. A certified arborist in Nebraska can advise you about the best course of maintenance for each tree species you plant on your property. Arborists enjoy sharing their knowledge and skills with homeowners planting brand new trees, and can make the difference between trees struggling and trees that thrive.

Call NE Tree Trimming now for information on routine tree maintenance in Nebraska – including tree pruning – for newer trees and old trees. An arborists can determine the best plan for your trees! Locate your city in our service area here.