The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
As autumn arrives in Northeast Ohio, our trees put on their final show of color before settling into winter dormancy. While we may think of spring as the season for planting and gardening, fall is actually an excellent time to give our trees some attention — both by adding new canopy trees and by caring for the mature trees already growing throughout Bay Village.
Fall is a great time to plant a tree
Cooler temperatures and more consistent rainfall make fall an especially favorable season for planting trees. With the heat and drought stress of summer behind us, newly planted trees can concentrate on establishing their root systems before the demands of next summer arrive.
Cooler nights and naturally occurring rainfall also mean homeowners generally don’t have to work as hard to keep a new tree adequately watered. Newly planted trees still need regular watering, particularly during dry periods, but fall’s weather can make that responsibility much easier.
For canopy-scale trees — the large, long-lived trees that provide shade, wildlife habitat, stormwater management and other benefits to our community — getting them into the ground in fall gives their roots an opportunity to become established before the growing season begins again.
When choosing a canopy tree, a 1- to 3-inch caliper tree is a good place to start. At this size, a tree is established enough to be more resilient than a young sapling, yet small enough to adapt and establish its root system relatively quickly. It also provides homeowners with the satisfaction of seeing meaningful growth sooner, while still having decades of potential ahead of it.
The right species in the right location is an investment in the future of our community. A tree that may look modest when planted can eventually become an important part of Bay Village’s canopy.
Fall and winter are also a good time to look up
Once the leaves begin to fall, the architecture of a tree becomes much easier to see. This makes the dormant season a good time to have mature trees evaluated by a qualified arborist.
Without a full canopy of leaves blocking the view, an arborist can more easily identify dead, damaged, crossing or weakly attached branches and assess the overall structure of the tree. Removing dead or hazardous wood can help reduce the risk of falling branches and can be an important part of maintaining a healthy, safe tree.
Dormant-season pruning can also be beneficial from a tree-health perspective. Many insects and disease-causing organisms are less active during the colder months, so properly timed pruning can reduce opportunities for some diseases to spread. Timing, however, matters by tree species and disease, which is another reason professional evaluation is worthwhile.
Think ahead for the canopy
Trees are long-term investments. The work we do this fall — whether planting a new canopy tree, evaluating an established one or removing dead wood — helps shape the trees and canopy Bay Village will have years from now.
As the leaves come down and the landscape quiets for winter, take a few minutes to look at the trees around your home. Is there room for a new canopy tree? Does an older tree have branches that deserve a closer look?
Fall may be the perfect time to start.
The Bay Village Tree Conservancy works to preserve and restore our community’s tree canopy through education, community engagement and action. Learn more at bvtrees.org.
