Every spring, homeowners with a green thumb begin the task of preparing their yards and gardens after a hard winter. With the warmer weather comes the buzz of lawn mowers, lawn trimmers, and more. While these tools have a place in every home’s shed, they also can cause damage to your precious trees. Read on for details on how to protect your trees from being damaged by your lawn equipment.
Take Your Time
Whenever you are operating machinery of any kind, patience and time is key. Many individuals will mow over roots to save time, or nick their tree’s bark when they are in a rush and not paying attention to how close they are getting to the tree. Taking the time to ensure you are maneuvering carefully around your trees is an important step in the lawn maintenance handbook. We suggest only doing yard work when you know you have time to proceed with care and caution, and not when you may feel the need to rush.
Create a Safety Zone with Mulch
Use mulch to create a ‘safety zone’ around your trees. This will create a visual barrier that will help remind you to be cautious around the base of your trees, but also reduce the need to get too close with machinery or tools in the first place. Not only can mulch help protect your trees from lawn tools, it also can help with root growth which keeps your trees healthy! Be careful not to pile the mulch up the trunk though, as the moisture build up from the mulch can rot the trunk of the tree.
Hand Weed
Instead of relying on tools where you may have less control, it’s time to put in good old fashioned elbow grease. Using your hands is a more gentle approach that is less likely to damage your trees in the long run. Tools like weed trimmers can knick the bark of your tree, causing tree wounds that allow insects or disease to enter the tree. We suggest weeding by hand shortly after a rainfall, as it is easier to pull weeds from softer soil. If you’re going to go the tool route, we suggest taking your time to ensure you don’t pull up more than you mean to, possibly damaging your trees and beautiful garden!
Renovate with Caution
If you are embarking on a big yard renovation, like building a deck or adding a shed, be mindful of the tree roots you can and can’t see. When doing excavation near trees, multiply the diameter of the tree by 6 (but always check with your cities guidelines). This will give you the minimum amount of space needed to not accidentally damage important roots during your build.
The End of the Root
Taking care of your trees does not have to be a laborious process. With proper planning and a little extra time and care, you can ensure your lawn equipment doesn’t damage your trees and they stay in top shape. Keeping your trees healthy throughout their life will save you in the long run, and allow you to enjoy your outdoor space all year long. Not sure where to start with protecting the trees on your home or property? Connect with Advanced Tree Care’s certified arborists today!
