Fall Tree Maintenance & Tree Programs

Fall Tree Maintenance

With the start of fall, homeowners should think about preparing their trees for the winter. Fall is a great time to prune and mulch your trees in preparation for the cold winter months.

Watering Trees Despite the morning dew you may find on your plants and car windows from the cool autumnal nights, that doesn’t mean that your trees are properly watered. You should continue to monitor the soil moisture of your trees on a weekly basis, especially those that have been recently planted. Not sure how to know if your tree needs water? There are two easy ways to tell:

  1. Using an inexpensive soil moisture meter (available at hardware stores), insert the pointed end of the meter tube into the ground to measure the percentage of water in the soil.
  2. Insert a long shaft screwdriver (like one from your toolbox) into the ground. If you are unable to insert it approximately six inches into the ground around the dripline (or area under the circumference of the tree canopy), then the tree needs to be watered.

Either method will indicate whether the tree has sufficient water; if it does, then don’t water as the over-watering could displace needed oxygen for the roots and encourage root rot. If the soil moisture test indicates that the tree needs to be water, then be sure to water around the dripline and not close to the trunk of the tree as this encourages fungal growth around the tree. Trees need about ten gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter at knee height, so use a sprinkler, hose at the dripline or a slow soaker hose spiraled around the tree when watering. The best time to water in the fall is early in the day before mid-afternoon to prevent desiccation and continue this schedule until the moisture in the soil begins to freeze due to the cold.

Mulching Applying mulch around trees helps retain soil moisture and insulates the soil from low temperatures in the winter. Mulch should be spread up to three inches thick around the tree extending to the dripline, if possible, but not placed next to the tree trunk or covering the root flair. Suitable materials to use as mulch are good quality hardwood chips or leaves.

Pruning Once leaves fall of the tree, inspect branches for pruning. Look for dead or damaged branches, crossed or rubbing branches, or competing leaders (aka a branch that is one-half or more the size of the trunk). Pruning can be performed with hand clippers, pole pruner or a pruning saw.

When removing a larger branch, make the first cut at least one foot away from the trunk on the underside of the branch about a quarter of the way through. Making the first cut here will prevent the weight of the removed branch from damaging the tree bark when being removed. The second cut should be made further down the length of the branch, past the undercut, and is done to remove the entire branch. The third cut should be just beyond the intersection of the branch collar (the raised area on the trunk where the branch grows from the trunk) on the tree trunk to remove the remaining branch stub.

Pruning should be performed before the first snow. Large mature trees with branches growing near utility lines should be pruned by a tree company licensed by the state of Maryland.

By following these simple steps, you can keep your trees healthy, and help maintain the tree canopy in the City of College Park. Need some more helpful tree maintenance information? Visit Tree Owner's Manual (usda.gov), Tree Maintenance | Home & Garden Information Center (clemson.edu), or Pruning Trees | University of Maryland Extension (umd.edu) for more information.

Provided by the City's Tree and Landscape Board

Tree Programs

Trees provide many benefits such as reduction of cooling and heating costs, interception of rainwater, increasing property values and improving air quality. The City offers a few ways to help.

  • REQUESTS FOR STREET TREES. The City has a program that provides for street tree planting in the right-of-way area, which includes the grass strip between the curb and sidewalk. College Park residents interested in requesting a tree can contact Brenda Alexander at 240-487-3590 or balexander@collegeparkmd.gov. The location will be inspected to determine if it is suitable.
  • TREE CANOPY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (TCEP). City of College Park property owners can apply for reimbursement of up to $150.00 annually, for approved tree(s) planted on their residential lot.

The completed application should be sent to balexander@collegeparkmd.gov review and approval.

Click here for a link to the guidelines and application.

TREE MAINTENANCE:

The City is responsible for tree maintenance in the rights-of-way, City maintained buildings and parks, and on public property. Tree maintenance on private property is the responsibility of the property owner.