Although we are just barely at the tail end of Summer, we’re already being reminded of snowier and colder days ahead. According to the experts, the Great Lakes Region is in for a wild ride this Winter! One meteorologist dared to call it a ‘Polar Coaster’ indicating a wild ride of temperature extremes.
Last Winter, many of you lost Boxwoods, Japanese Maples, Burning Bushes and Dogwoods. Unfortunately, we could go on. It seems like everyone’s property we visited this year lost at least a tree or line of shrubs due to last Winter’s polar vortex. All of that devastation was due to a single, three-day period where the temperatures dipped to a staggering 20-30º below zero with wind chills as low as 40-50º below zero. If it happens again in back to back years, especially with temperatures bouncing between extreme highs and lows which is even more consequential, trees that were stressed last Winter and showed only slight damage in 2019 may ultimately succumb this Winter. Trees you may not even realize are stressed right now may suffer noticeable damage in 2020, or worse.
Trees suffering from ‘Fire Blight’ (small dead leaves and limbs on Pear, Crabs and other varieties) or Botryosphaeria Canker (individual larger dead limbs with curling bark on many varieties of trees), both prevalent, do not need the added stress of a harsh winter.
A high percentage of our clients have their trees professionally fertilized in the Fall. Many have this service performed both Spring and Fall but feeding once a year is crucial in our opinion. Proper fertilization prepares trees for a harsh Winter as well as the following growing season. We perform this service with high pressure, underground feeding probes which delivers twenty-two (22) beneficial minerals, nutrients and amino acids to tree roots for your most valuable trees to make them as strong as possible. Your trees will thank you for it.
If you are already feeding your trees you are doing the best possible thing you can do for them. If not, you might want to consider having us quote root fertilization, at the very least for trees that are of extreme value to your property.
Have a great Fall and enjoy it while it lasts!