From the elegant and attractive floral blossoms to the height and texture they offer, flowering cherry trees can be a great addition to your landscape design. Although incredibly durable, flowering cherry trees do benefit from some periodic care, such as fertilizing and pruning. Of course, if you are like most homeowners, you are not familiar with how and when to perform this simple maintenance. This guide will help you maintain your flowering cherry trees.
Fertilizing
Fertilizer is beneficial for a few reasons. While it does help your flowering cherry tree grow and thrive, fertilizing also ensures ample and colorful floral blooms in the spring season.
You may think the spring is the best time for fertilize your tree, since the floral blooms are showing. However, that is not necessarily true. It is best to fertilize in the early part of spring, when the floral buds are showing only. Also, apply fertilizer in the latter part of summer, to help the tree survive the change in temperature that occurs in the fall season.
A slow-release fertilizer specifically designed for flowering trees is best. Be sure to water after applying the fertilizer. This will help the nutrients lock into the soil around the tree's roots.
Pruning
Pruning is also a key part of maintaining your flowering cherry tree. Pruning removes dead and diseased growth, promotes fuller and more colorful floral blooms, and improves the shape and overall look of your tree.
The early part of summer is a good time to prune your flowering cherry tree. If you prune in the late part of winter or early spring, the tree may not heal properly from the fresh wounds made when trimming off parts of the tree.
In the early part of summer, trim off any low-lying branches that are hanging too close to the ground. Cut off higher branches that are growing haphazardly, too.
The summer is also a good time to trim off limbs and branches that show signs of disease or pests. Branches and limbs that appear discolored or decaying should be trimmed off and removed from the area, reducing the risk of spreading the disease/pests to other trees and plants in your landscape design.
Any shoots growing off the trunk or other branches should also be removed. Known as suckers, these small growths can greatly affect the health and look of your tree.
For appeal and value that stands the test of time, the flowering cherry is a great tree for your yard. This guide will help you maintain the tree with ease. Contact a tree trimming service for more help.
