Trees can certainly live a long time – there are living bristlecone pines in California that are thought to be nearly 5,000 years old!
But most trees won’t last this long. A white oak or black gum tree in your yard may live for 500 to 800 years, while pine trees typically only live for 100 to 200 years. And some smaller species rarely live much more than 50 years.
But whether the trees on your property are likely to live for five decades or fifty, one thing is certain: You want to do everything you can to help them live as long as possible and to stay healthy as they mature.
In this article, we’ll try to help you achieve this goal below, by explaining how to care for mature trees.
Caring for Mature Trees: 7 Tips, Tricks, and Strategies
By and large, older trees will benefit from the same kinds of things that young trees will. However, there are a few things that can be particularly helpful for mature trees and help them live as long as possible.
1. Apply Mulch Under the Entire Drip Line
Applying a 2- to 4-inch-layer of mulch can be incredibly helpful for trees – especially older specimens and legacy trees. Mulch provides a wealth of benefits, from suppressing weed growth to helping the soil retain moisture to shielding the roots from temperature extremes and damage.
Organic mulches are preferable, as they help provide nutrients to the soil and encourage good microbial populations. On the other hand, you’ll want to avoid “mulches” consisting of rubber pieces or rocks, as these can do more harm than good.
2. Provide Water Properly
Trees can usually benefit from supplemental water during droughts and at the peak of summer. But it is critical that you provide water properly, as doing so in the incorrect manner can lead to a litany of problems.
This essentially means providing deep, infrequent soakings, instead of light and frequent waterings. The former helps saturate the soil and encourage deep root growth, while the latter will fail to give the tree any meaningful water and encourage the development of surface roots. Also, be sure that you don’t spray the trunk directly, as this can lead to fungal growth.
3. Conduct Regular Soil Tests and Apply Fertilizer if Necessary
It’s always a good idea to conduct regular soil tests (perhaps once or twice per year), to ensure that the soil is capable of properly supporting your trees. You can’t change some soil chemistry characteristics easily (such as the pH), but you can apply fertilizer to help correct mineral deficiencies.
Just be sure that you apply a slow-release fertilizer to avoid burning your tree’s roots. Also, it is always important to provide supplemental water when adding fertilizer, to ensure that the tree can properly absorb it.
4. Preventatively Treat for Important Pests and Pathogens
There are a variety of tree threats that can quickly sicken or kill mature trees. For example, emerald ash borer is an insect that threatens all of our state’s ash trees. However, there are preventative treatments you can have carried out that will protect your trees, shielding them from these kinds of threats.
Prevention is crucial, as many tree pests and pathogens are impossible to eradicate once they’ve begun attacking the tree. It’s also important to note that some of these treatments must be carried out every few years.
5. Prevent Soil Compaction
Soil compaction is one of the leading causes of early tree mortality, as it prevents trees from being able to absorb water and nutrients properly. This can lead to a variety of different problems, including crown dieback, slow growth, and ultimately, death.
While there are some ways to aerate soil and reduce compaction, these are rarely completely effective. Accordingly, it is always better to prevent your soil from being compacted in the first place. This means using care when carrying out construction projects in the area and preventing heavy vehicles or machinery from driving across your property.
6. Watch for Mushrooms Growing on the Trunk or Roots
Mushrooms can be a very troubling sign, as they signal that fungus is growing in the area. For example, seeing a mushroom growing on your tree’s trunk may indicate the presence of fungal hyphae inside the tree. Or, if you see mushrooms growing on the ground around your tree, the roots may have been colonized.
Not all mushrooms are problematic; some are symbiotic and even help support tree health, while others only consume dead wood in the tree or roots. Accordingly, it is important to solicit professional assistance whenever you see any mushroom growing on or near your tree.
7. Have Older Trees Inspected by an ISA-Certified Arborist Regularly
In addition to doing things like identifying fungi and helping to preventatively treat insect or pathogen problems, ISA certified arborists (or consulting arborists) can assess the structural integrity of your tree. This may be helpful for identifying problematic limbs and carrying out proper pruning before they can break (and potentially cause ripped bark, which may expose the tree to a variety of threats).
Additionally, it is wise to have an arborist get to know your tree. This way, he or she can learn the tree’s tendencies and potentially help spot problems at the earliest stages.
Critical Differences Between Young Trees and Older Trees
Many of the mature tree care tips and suggestions shared above are also helpful for young trees. For example, you should always protect a tree’s root zone and add mulch under the dripline — no matter the age of the tree. Similarly, it’s always wise to inspect trees regularly in order to catch problems early.
The key thing to keep in mind is that old trees have acclimated to their growing location over many years (decades). This means you’ll want to be careful to avoid making any drastic changes when providing tree care to older specimens.
In other words, you’ll want to do things like carry out all pruning gradually and provide supplemental water carefully. However, it is more important to do some things promptly, such as seek help at the first signs of stress, decay, or disease.
Get The Mature Tree Care You Need!
Contact the professionals at Longtree Tree Service if you’d like to get your mature trees the care they need to continue thriving for years. One of our certified arborists will visit your property, analyze the tree’s health, condition, and needs, and outline a plan for providing the support it needs.
Just be sure to contact us soon – the sooner we start working on your mature trees, the better the ultimate results will be.
