Our tree experts are sharing their 11 Tree Care Tips for Fall. As fall ends here in Cincinnati, and the regular gardening season winds down, we wanted you to have a fall tree care checklist to protect your important trees. Here are timely garden chores to keep your trees looking great through the fall and winter:

11 Tree Care Tips for Fall

1. At the top is providing good soil moisture for your larger trees and evergreens, landscape shrubs, perennials and lawn, and newly planted plants, as they go thru fall and winter.  It is very important to have good moisture in the soil. It determines how well your plants will make it through the winter and into next spring, especially evergreens.
2. Clean up areas around fruiting trees and plants to get rid of fallen fruits, diseased leaves, branches, etc, for a cleaner start next spring.
3. Keep planting trees and shrubs.  As long as the soil is workable and the weather is good, you can plant all through the rest of the year.  Fall is the best time for planting most trees and evergreens.
4. Water newly planted trees and shrubs as needed until we get into consistently cold weather.  Also, check soil moisture between the foundation plants and the foundation.  If that area is dry, water.
5. Protect younger trees (3-inch trunk diameter or smaller) from deer damage (bucks rubbing) with trunk protectors.
6. Protect deer browsing susceptible trees with DeerScram / Liquid Fence / Repels All, etc.  Also, consider nylon netting coverage.
7. Transplant trees and shrubs and perennials that need to be moved in the yard.
8. Expect your evergreens to shed inner needles during the fall.  It’s a normal process.  But be sure to keep them watered going through the fall season.
9. Feed the trees in late fall if needed.  Vertical mulching or soil injection with a Ross Root feeder works great.  If feeding evergreens, wait until late fall and use ½ normal rate.  Spring is good for feeding evergreens
10. Spray evergreens (as needed) with WiltStop for greater winter protection.  Do this later in the fall.  You can also spray rose canes and smaller Japanese maples for added winter protection.
11. Winter mulching should not be done until the ground is frozen, or at least down into the lower 40s or colder.  And remember to keep mulch away from the bottom of tree trunks, and for critter protection away from the base of most landscape plants.

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