If you want to protect yourself from the common cold, the flu, and other common illnesses, then you probably strive to get lots of sleep and eat a healthy diet. The same is true for your trees. While you can't put them to bed early or feed them vegetables, there are some tree care services you can take advantage of to boost their overall health. These services can help ensure that if they do come into contact with a pathogen, they're less likely to get very ill.

Trimming

Many homeowners think of trimming as something they do to keep their tree looking good. But tree care is not just beauty care—it's also healthcare. A tree trimmer will remove any weak or dying branches from the tree. Since these areas are often the first to get infected, removing them reduces the tree's risk of illness. Trimming also helps reduce the number of branches the tree has to support. It can then concentrate its resources and make the branches that are left behind even stronger and healthier. There are precautions that need to be taken during trimming, such as sanitizing the shears between trees and removing less than 1/3 of the tree's growth, but as long as these are taken, trimming is a healthy step.

Deep Watering

Because they have such deep roots, trees have the ability to obtain water and stay alive even during long periods of drought. However, there is a difference between staying alive and thriving. If there has not been a lot of rain, a tree might not be getting enough water to keep itself in top health in order to fight off infections. Deep watering is a service by which tree care professionals can inject water below ground near the tree's roots. This makes the water more accessible to trees so they can send it up to their leaves, thereby strengthening them.

Soil Testing and Fertilization

Fertilization helps ensure the tree has the nutrients it needs to thrive, but before you fertilize the tree, you should do a soil test to see what nutrients the soil is lacking. Many tree care companies can do this for you. They'll test the soil, and then when the test results come back, they will return to your home to apply a specific fertilizer that supplies any nutrients that were missing. Within a few weeks of fertilization, your tree will begin to grow stronger and healthier.

A healthy tree is a disease-resistant tree. And it mostly comes down to trimming, watering, and fertilization. For more information, contact a residential tree care service. 

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