Use This Fall Tree Care Checklist to Prepare Your Sonoma County Property for Winter

The fall season in Sonoma County is an essential time of year to get your trees on track to a healthy start next spring. Even in traditionally wet and cooler weather, year-round tree and vegetation management are essential for preparing your property for future fire seasons. With winter right around the corner, now is the perfect time to take the steps necessary to ensure your trees are fortified for the months ahead.

Use this fall tree care checklist to ensure the safety and health of the trees on your property and prepare them for the winter months and reap the rewards in spring!

1. Inspect Your Trees for Signs of Pests

During the colder months, trees go into a dormant rest period where they are not actively growing. At the same time, bugs, pests, and other invasive species will be heading into a hibernation period as well. This makes identifying possible pest infestation in your trees very important in the fall so the situation can be eradicated before spring.

Signs of Pests in Trees:

Leaves: Discoloration or damage, abnormal markings, less production, early shedding 
Trunk: cracks or holes, abnormal growth, shedding, lifting roots
Branches: thinning, brittle, limb drop, abnormal growth

If a pest infestation is left untreated before springtime, the infestation will multiple by the thousands and most likely migrate to other trees on your property and surrounding area. Learn more about how to spot the signs of some common Sonoma County tree pests in our past article.

2. Prune Your Trees to Promote Healthy Growth

Regularly pruning the trees on your property during the fall season can help ensure their health and resilience for years to come. Pruning in the fall puts less stress on our trees because they are entering a dormant growth cycle. Because they are not actively growing, they can focus their energy to heal the pruning wound instead. 

When the tree is actively growing in springtime, it will produce fuller crown growth with more flowers and fruit, creating a beautiful and healthy landscape around your home.

3. Spread Mulch Around Trees

Sonoma County isn’t prone to enough seasonal rain to require too much concern for your trees, but preparation is key to maintain their health. Too much water can drown your tree roots – especially young trees – and deprive them of essential oxygen they will need to grow stronger.

Prepare your trees for rainy weather by spreading two to three inches of mulch around the ground. Avoid placing mulch directly against the trunk, as this could be detrimental to the tree itself. The mulch will slow the water from being absorbed too quickly into the soil, protecting the tree’s roots below. This will also help in the colder months by providing a layer of warmth to protect the root system from ground frost.

4. Have Dead or Dangerous Trees Removed from Your Property

At Vintage Tree Care, our goal is to help keep Sonoma County safe and beautiful with proper tree care and vegetation management. This includes the removal of potential fire fuels such as dead or dangerous trees. If a tree near your home is past saving, removing it sooner than later is essential to maintaining the safety of your property. Failing to properly attend to a dead tree on your property can result in problems with much more costly solutions. 

The Dangers of Dead Trees Include:

• Bodily Injury to you or someone else
• Roadblock
• Property damage
• Fire fuel in the event of a wildfire
• Damage to essential utilities, like power lines
• and much more

Removing dead or potentially dangerous trees will not only help beautify your property, but also keep you and your community safe. Contact one of our certified arborists at Vintage Tree Care to learn more about our tree removal services in Sonoma County.

Contact Vintage Tree Care for all Your Sonoma County Tree Services

At Vintage Tree Care, we have over 25 years of experience proudly serving Sonoma County residences and businesses. Our certified arborists are here to help ensure the longevity of the trees on your property for many years to come. Some trees require more preparation than others to ensure their health and safety during the winter, and our experts are here to help.

Make sure your trees are ready for every season by contacting us online today to request your estimate!