Fall is actually a very popular time to plant trees in the northeast. The cooler air and warm soil make for optimal germination conditions for the trees. If you are new to planting tree or are an experienced tree keeper, keeping pests away from trees is extremely important. Pest infestations can easily destroy a tree and also the fruit it may bear. Valley Green is one of the top landscape suppliers in the northeast and we carry several products to keep your trees healthy and assist in keeping pests away from trees.
Keep your trees watered.
Proper watering is an easy way to keep insects at bay. With proper watering, your treeโs branches will not dry up and break off. Not only are these branches unattractive and unsafe, but they can also dramatically increase the risk of insect infestation. If you want your watering routine to work even better, add an anti-desiccant spray that will help trees retain the water during drier weather.
Keep the trees and their bases tidy.
The better you maintain your trees, the fewer places insects will have to hide. Fall is an especially important time to maintain your trees. Removing fallen fruits can help in keeping insects away that may want to eat the fruit. You should also keep the grass well-trimmed and rake away any leaves. This eliminates the possibility that insects will have to be a place to hide. Without these places to hide, the insects are less likely to feed on the trees and infest them.
Set up pest barricades.
You would be surprised how easily a simple barricade can keep insects at bay. A great natural barrier to use is a copper band. Placing the band around the bottom of your trunk will do wonders in keeping crawling insects such as snails, slugs, and other bugs away. You can also purchase wraps for the truck of your trees that will discourage insects from crawling up into the branches.
Use winter wash on the trees.
One of the most common types of insects that affect trees is aphids. The adults will lay their eggs in fall on the branches. The aphids feed on new shoots of the trees which can cause the leaves to become distorted. Even minor aphid infestations can cause major problems. The best way to combat an aphid infestation is to use a winter wash to dislodge the eggs after they have been laid. Use the wash in early winter after the treeโs leaves had dropped. The wash should be used again in spring before the trees burst into growth. You should also spray any tree stakes too.
