Prepare Trees for Fall

Many trees lose their leaves in the fall when it starts getting cold. It’s a fact of life but, do you know why trees lose their leaves? It’s one of those things that we hold as a foundational truth to how the world works, but many may struggle to explain why this process occurs accurately.

Across northern, California trees lose their leaves during fall when the weather starts turning cold. In tropical forests, trees lose their leaves when the dry season begins. But not all trees lose their leaves. The trees that do are called deciduous trees, and those that don’t are known as the evergreen.

Fall Planting Truth!

One of the most common misconceptions about fall planting is that it’s too cold to plant in the late fall. In reality, fall planting is ideal because it gives trees time to develop their root system and acclimate to the warm weather in the spring and summer.

Now you are a tree lover and want to keep your trees healthy in all seasons. Read the article by Swell Emergency Tree Removal Service to prepare your trees for fall.

Key messages

Water trees late in fall before freezing
Remove infected leaves from trees
Water properly – each tree requires a different amount of water
Provide wood chips mulch to your tree- use arborist wood chips as much as you can
Avoid any fertilizing, soil disturbances, root and trunk damages
Prune ONLY dead and broken branches
Prepare for wildlife damages
Plan for salt damages –
Remove livestock to avoid nutrients supply as well soil compaction

Fall planting and why we choose to plant trees in the fall?

Planting trees in fall will give them the best chance to develop a robust root system and get established before summer.

In many parts of the country, the soil temperatures are sufficient to allow trees to become partially established before winter. As a result, many of the trees you would buy at a nursery or other outlets are suitable for planting in the fall.

By using the fall to plant our trees, we can extend the time available to plant trees in your home landscape. By using the fall, we can get trees in the ground and starting to become established before winter sets in. Unless your soil is frozen solid, you should be able to plant your trees as long as you can dig with a spade. It’s acceptable to plant your trees in the fall.

So, in many parts of the country, it will be a great time to plant trees and let the roots become established. That will set them up for a productive. Next spring and summer, and you may not have to water nearly as much for those trees. By planting trees in the fall, we can reduce the stress on the tree because of the cooler temperatures.

If you receive bare-root trees from the nursery, the best situation is to plant those trees immediately in their final location wherever you’ve decided to produce them. But if you can’t do that, we would recommend you heal those trees.

We’ve got some good healing instructions at Swell Emergency Tree Removal Service. And you can use those methods to hang on to those trees before your final planting location has been determined.

Your last option would be to pot those trees, and we discourage this, but it may be your only option. You want to make sure that you protect those newly potted trees through either the winter months or through the summer months and give them adequate moisture and protection.

Fall and winter impacts on trees

Some of the most common damages occur due to,

Lack of moisture
Disease and insect damage
Cold temperature and dry air,
Winter sun,
Wildlife and livestock damage,
Salt
Deep freeze,
Heavy snow and ice (early winter)

Fall insects and disease to watch

Spider mites
Mountain pine beetle
Bronze leaf disease (BLD)
Poplar leaf spot
Mela psora leaf rust
Cystospore canker
Needle casts (rhizosphere and stigma)

Symptoms:

Powdery orange-yellow spores;
Premature leaf drops in late summer.

Control: remove and destroy fallen leaves if possible.

Avoid dense plantings that can reduce airflow.
Avoid using monocultures

Symptoms:

Balsam or hybrid poplar appear to have brown foliage and premature leaf drop. Leaf discoloration (blotches or spotting). Orange-colored branch and stem cankers.

►Control method:

Prune infested branch
Remove fallen leaves in infested areas.
Should remove heavily infested trees

Symptoms:

Margins develop yellow, orange, or reddish-brown, veins remain green. Leave later become bronze or dark reddish-brown hue color, and infected leaves stay on trees while healthy leaves drop off.

► Control:

Remove and destroy fallen leaves if possible.
Prine to remove dead branches 12 inches below disease and increase air circulation; sterilize pruning equipment after every cut
DO NOT chip, compose, or use this material for firewood-put in the landfill in a plastic bag or BURN immediately
Avoid dense plantings that can reduce inflow.

Fall watering - key factors

Know your tree!

Soil types – clay vs. Sandy soil
Age of trees – newly planted, few years old or mature trees
Tree species types- water-loving vs. Drought resistant
Water quality and quantity
Availability of water
Water delivery system – irrigation vs. Hand vs. Bags
Time of day, month, and year
Cost

Fall watering

Test your water for sodium levels
Prioritize watering – young and newly planted requires the most watering
Soak them, but don’t flood them
How to check moisture in soil: use a garden trowel/knife to a depth of 4-6 inches.
For large trees, the rule of thumb is 10 gallons per inch diameter
Slow and deep water is best
Water large mature trees in fall before freezing
Mulch is your best friend to keep moisture

How much to water newly planted trees based on the size of a tree?

The caliper of tree trunk	Root establishment time	Gallons of water at each irrigation
1 inch	• 1.5 years	• 1-1.5 gallons
2 inches	• 3 years	• 2-3 gallons
3 inches	• 4.5 years	• 3-4.5 gallons
4 inches	• 6 years	• 4-6 gallons
5 inches	• 7.5 years	• 5-7.5 gallons
6 inches	• 9 years	• 6-9 gallons

Benefits of wood chips in fall and winter

Soil benefits

Improve the structure and enhance gas transfer

+ Enhance water infiltration and retention, especially during dry fall

Prevent erosion and compaction

▸ Moderate temperature and reduce root stress

Tree benefits

Provide nutrients (racks and plastic do not provide any nutrients to soil or plants)
Protect roots from cold air and winter freezing
Environmental benefits
Suppress pathogens and pests
Enhance beneficial organisms
Increase biodiversity
Neutralize pollutant
Excellent weed control

Fall pruning

Remove ONLY DEAD and broken branches
Prune for safety reasons for people and property
Reduce fire hazards

Important things to know about,

▸ Water trees late in fall before freezing

▸ Remove infected leaves from trees

▸ Water regularly and properly – each tree requires a different amount of water ▸ provide wood chips mulch to your tree- use arborist wood chips as much as you can

▸ Avoid any fertilizing, soil disturbances, root and trunk damages

▸ Prune ONLY dead and broken branches

▸ Prepare for wildlife damages

▸ Remove livestock to avoid nutrients supply as well soil compaction

Swell emergency tree removal service - Alameda County - Contra Costa County

Swell Emergency Tree Removal is a professional tree services company operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County. We help improve your property’s aesthetics, ensure proper tree maintenance for your trees’ longevity, and prevent future problems that could be costly.

Swell Emergency Tree Service has over 20 years of experience operating in the arboriculture business. All arborists in the company are ISA certified. Call us now on (925) 217-1037 and talk to our staff, who are always ready to help. We guarantee a free estimate that we send to you within a short time.