Trees can greatly enhance the appearance of a garden area. Here are some of the things you can do to keep the trees in your outdoor space in good condition.

Utilise mulch

One of the most effective ways to keep your trees healthy is to place mulch around their bases.

The term 'mulch' refers to a collection of loose materials which are placed on the top layer of a patch of soil. Mulch can be made from a wide variety of materials, but usually consists of straw, rotted manure, wood chippings, compost or dead leaves.

Sprinkling mulch around the base of your trees can vastly improve their overall condition. Mulch can, for example, help to insulate a tree's roots and in doing so, protect them from damage caused by extreme temperatures.

Mulch can also retain water; this, in turn, can help to keep the roots of a tree moist even during periods of dry weather. Additionally, because other plants cannot grow underneath mulch, this substance can prevent the roots from having to compete with weeds for nutrients in the soil.

Finally, mulch can protect the visible roots from sustaining damage if you accidentally push your lawn mower over them whilst trimming your lawn.

You can create your own mulch, or alternatively, if you don't have the time to do this, you can pay a local tree service company to mulch the trees on your property.

Cut down diseased trees promptly

Many homeowners choose to ignore the first signs of tree diseases, in the hopes that the disease will heal of its own accord in time.

In reality, this rarely, if ever happens. Failing to cut down a tree that has developed a disease will only result in the disease infecting and destroying the other trees in the nearby area.

The bacteria that cause tree diseases can be spread very easily; for example, if your dog or cat walks over the roots of an infected tree and then walks around the rest of the garden, they could easily transfer the bacteria from the diseased tree to a healthy one, via their paws.

As such, if you want to avoid losing all of the trees on your property, it is essential to hire an arborist to remove any diseased ones before the infection spreads. Some of the main signs of infection include peeling bark, swollen growths on the trunk and fungi around the base.