Are you among the 25% of Americans who’ve taken up gardening recently? If so, you’re probably in need of some tips right now. 

Planting trees is great for the environment and adds ambiance, shade, and beauty to your garden. Yet, you need a little more than green fingers to keep these plants at their best. 

These are the most common tree maintenance mistakes made by homeowners today and how you can avoid them. 

1. Tree Pruning Problems

Unless you know how to prune a tree, it’s best to hire someone for this delicate task, or at least avoid the most common tree pruning mistakes.

Many people prune their trees too close to the base, leaving them exposed to disease and infection, or prune too randomly.

You should always use the correct pruning tools and cut just above a bud. Make sure you cut weaker stems shorter than stronger ones.

The only time to prune your trees is in between winter and early spring unless advised otherwise by an expert.  

2. Fruit Tree Maintenance Mistakes

Leaving your fruit trees to their own devices without regular tree maintenance is never a good idea. You aren’t the only one that loves fresh fruit straight from the source. Numerous insects will nibble on your delicious produce unless you take steps to deter them. 

Using a pesticide sprayer for fruit trees isn’t only for farmers, it makes light work of caring for your home orchard, too. Make sure you use a treatment that’s safe for the environment, your pets, and your family, though.

3. Faulty Fertilizing 

Proper nutrients help trees stay healthy and ward off diseases. That means you must set aside a heavy sum for fertilizers in your tree maintenance budget.

Applying the wrong nutrients at the wrong time of year is a common tree care mistake, and can cause untold harm. Always follow the instructions on the package to the letter, or consult a certified arborist for assistance.

4. Not Taking Sanitization Seriously

Fertilizer and pest control measures will take care of most plant problems. Yet, you should also take care to sanitize your gardening tools with rubbing alcohol after each use.

If you don’t, you could expose your trees to harmful fungi and bacteria and spread them from one tree to another. 

Another important safeguard is to dispose of any leaves, debris, and fallen branches in your garden. These are ideal habitats for unwanted insects, bacteria, and fungi. 

Get All the Help You Need

One way to avoid these tree maintenance mistakes is by hiring a tree care service to do all the hard work. They’ve got all the best tree care tools and know-how to keep your trees in tip-top condition all year round.

Getting help from the pros is the best way to save yourself the time, effort, and uncertainty involved in maintaining your garden. 

Would you like to discover some more great home management advice? Our blog has all the best tips for maintaining your home and garden in the best shape, keep browsing.