Preparing Your Trees for the Fall

For us Floridians, we know that fall doesn’t start at the same time as most of the country; it takes about a month longer to reach us. But when it does get here, it is a beautiful time of year. Well, it has finally arrived in late October: our own fall season. With the change in the season, your trees will be going through changes, and you need to make sure that they’re ready for the cooler temperatures coming this way. That’s why we’ve had our Orlando arborists put together some advice for taking care of your trees in the fall.

1. Proper fertilization: between hot summers and cold winters, trees lose out on valuable nutrients to stay healthy. The best move to help out your trees is by giving them a slow-release fertilizer. This is best as it replenishes the tree with nutrients, improves its ability to stand up to bugs, disease, and bad weather, and the slow-release action lets it last longer between placing it.
2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: fall and winter months tend to be drier (yes, even in Florida), so you have to make sure your trees are hydrated. This doesn’t mean running your sprinklers all day, every day, but it does mean making sure your plants are getting the hydration they need. One easy (and cost-saving) way is to use a soaker hose or even drip irrigation that gets the water straight to the roots of the trees. That way, your plants are getting quality hydration and you’re not constantly keeping your sprinklers on.
3. Time your planting: ever since we were kids learning about the seasons, we were always told that trees lose their leaves in the fall and sprout new life in the spring. However, fall is actually an excellent time to plant new trees. Again, it’s kind of backward, but it really makes sense. Cooler temperatures and less chance of brutal scorching from the sun mean less stress on new trees. Plus, they can build up and prepare for the winter much easier in the fall. Whether you are a homeowner or a business like American High School of FL, we can help you make room for your new plantings with our tree removal service.
4. Get ready for the cold: thankfully, our winters in Florida aren’t as harsh as they tend to be in other places around the country. Regardless, proper tree pruning is important to ensure your trees make it through the winter in good health. Every now and then, though, we do get a pretty intense winter night. If you hear of a freeze, wrap your trees in blankets to protect them because they won’t be used to such harsh changes in temperatures.

Take advantage of this cooler weather and get outside and take care of your trees!  If you need pruning, want to remove some trees to make way for new trees, or have any other tree service needs in Orlando, call Advance Tree Pros and our Orlando arborists can help you out.