Beautiful Walnut Trees In Your Front Yard? 3 Things That Can Damage Them
Walnut trees provide you with walnuts during certain parts of the year and they are resistant to many pests and diseases. There are still some things that can hurt a walnut tree that you may not think about, however. Below are three of these things so you can keep your trees in great condition.
Too Much Mulch
Mulch can be beneficial to plants and trees as it helps to hold in moisture. This keeps the plants and trees watered longer.
If you place the mulch too close to the tree trunk, however, this can damage your tree and even kill it over time. This is because the mulch suffocates the tree and prevents water and nutrients from getting down into the roots. Instead, push the mulch three to four inches away from the tree. Do not use black mulch as this draws in heat and can dry out your walnut trees
Too Much Dog Urine
If you have one or more male dogs, they can wreak havoc in a yard. Not only from the dogs jumping and digging, but their urine is acidic and easily kills grass and trees. For this reason, do not let your dog pee on any of your vegetation, including your trees. If you do, over time the bark will start to die and fall off. The urine will then get deeper into the tree trunk. If the urine hits the ground it can get down into the roots and cause damage or even death.
You can help your dog have less acid in their urine by giving them more water. You can add water to their food or give them canned food as it has much more water in it when compared to dry dog food.
Too Much Trimming
Most trees need to be trimmed periodically. This will prevent them from becoming too tall or growing more on one side than the other. If you trim your own walnut trees and do it incorrectly you could damage the trees.
For example, if you start hacking away at the top of a tree, this can be fatal. This is because you cut off a bunch of leaves around the canopy. This weakens the support structure and the branches. Both things can cause your walnut trees to die.
Talk with a tree service company like Blue Ox Tree Care of Indiana if you are having any problems with your walnut trees. The tree service can come to your home and tell you if the trees need to be pruned, as well as inspect the trees to make sure they are healthy.
