After The Rains
View from Grand Avenue after the rains.
As the weather is still chilly and the trees are still mostly dormant, now might be a good time to take a look at your yard and give special attention to any damaged tree branches on your canopy trees and/or train any young fruit trees for the proper shape and health.
A bad pruning job can do more damage than good and ruin the tree’s stability and structure. Trees are living things that need to be trimmed carefully in order to heal properly. Over pruning also reduces the foliage that’s available for making food for the rest of the plant and can allow pests and diseases access to the tree if cuts are made incorrectly.
The internet can be a great source for pruning advice as long as it is from a reputable site. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself on your larger trees, please hire a licensed, insured local company with an arborist on staff that is familiar with our climate. ( If you have questions about safety or pruning issues you see about town check our our new “Hot Button Issues” .)
This is also a great time to give attention to all your irrigation systems. You shouldn’t be using it now but it’s a great to make sure it isn’t blocked or leaking and is in good working order. If you still have an old sprinkler system, now might be the best time to replace outdated sprinklers with more efficient heads or drip lines. Steady slow drips get the water to the roots not just the top soil. (If you have removed unwanted turf, make a plan so your trees are still given adequate moisture after the rainy season.)
Also take a look at your planting basins. Mulch breaks down and you may need a top off. Mulch should be at least 3-4 inches to retain moisture and protect roots from the hot sun that will come with the warmer months. Just make sure you leave space between the mulch and the plant to prevent any possibility of rot.
Well we’re keeping ourselves busy here at Ojai Trees by planning our regular spring plantings , launching this new website and fleshing out some new education projects. We think you’ll be as excited as we are so stay tuned.
I thought I’d end with this beautiful quote:
“Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind.
Their leaves are telling secrets.
Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks.
And their roots give names to all things.
Their language has been lost. But not the gestures.”― Vera Nazarian