As spring knocks on our doors, it’s not just the flowers in bloom that deserve our attention–our trees need some springtime love, too! You may be wondering when you should start watering your tree or what to do if yours hasn’t sprouted leaves yet, but we’ve got the answers to your springtime tree care questions. A little bit of love and care now can help your tree grow healthier and faster in the future. Here are a few simple tips to ensure your tree grows and thrives. 

It’s spring, but my tree has no leaves, is it dead?

Trees in Sacramento have a wide range in the timing of when their leaves appear in spring. If you are worried that your tree isn’t alive, check just below the bark! Make a tiny nick in the bark of a branch with your fingernail to see if it is green underneath. If green, it’s alive and just hasn’t yet pushed out spring leaves. If brown, the tree is dead.

Some early trees like buckeyes leaf out in January, and some other species aren’t fully in leaf until May! Species that frequently leaf out much later include: red maples, Chinese pistache, golden rain, Chinese flame, and desert willow trees. Young desert willow often look a bit lifeless during the winter and early spring even though they are a totally healthy tree; their bright blossoms in the summer make up for it aesthetically!  

Another sign that your tree is healthy and spring is on the way is the presence of tree buds. These buds are signs that new branches, leaves, or flowers are soon on their way. Buds can range in shape, size, and color and appear at the tip of a branch or stem. 

Spring is a great time to replant! While all of the trees that SacTree offers for free through our SMUD partnership program are adapted to the winters here, if a tree you’ve received within the last three years has died, you can submit a replacement application at sactree.org/replace. 

Help, my tree is leaning!

You may have noticed your young tree drooping to the side when it’s leaves finally came in. When some trees do grow their leaves at last in spring, it can happen quickly and the sudden weight of the new leaves can temporarily weigh down the top of the tree. If this happens to your tree, fear not, the tree will grow into its new leaves by the summertime. You can also temporarily stake the tree with taller stakes to correct the lean or bend until summer but that is not required.    

Pruning: No spring haircuts needed!

Avoid pruning when new buds are coming out to protect your tree from disease and ensure it has all the energy it needs to grow. Avoid pruning in the spring, summer, and fall except to remove any suckers, watersprouts, or broken, dead, or diseased branches. It is best to prune during the winter months: December, January, February.  You can find more pruning tips and tricks at sactree.org/pruning. 

Know when to water

Before resuming watering, check the soil! By delaying spring watering, and slowly increasing frequency, trees develop healthier roots to survive hot summers without excessive watering. Use a screwdriver or soil probe to check the soil at least six inches below the surface near the drip line of your tree (the imaginary circle at the farthest reaches of the tree’s branches). If the soil is hard, dry, and crumbly, add water with a slow soak. If the soil is wet and sticky, allow it to dry before adding more water. 

Slowly apply water until the soil becomes moist 6 inches below the surface. Check every 10-20 minutes or so to see if the water has reached this depth.  

In general, young trees will need water one to three times per week for the first three years after planting. Established and mature trees will need water about once per month in dry months. Some types of native trees will not need summer water in non-drought years. 

Preparing for the summer – it’s time to mulch!

Wood chip mulch is one of the easiest ways to protect and nourish your young tree while saving water. In spring, mulch reduces the weeds that pop up after winter rains. Adding wood chip mulch around your tree will reduce competition with weeds and grass and set the soil up to retain moisture during the hot season. First, pull weeds from around the trunk, because you want to place the wood chips directly on top of the soil. Around a young tree, the wood chips should be placed in a four ft wide circle, four inches from the trunk, and 6 inches deep – a big, thick ring shaped like a doughnut. You can find more mulching tips and a tutorials on our website. 

If you only need a small amount of wood chips, you can pick them up for free from SMUD at 6100 Folsom Blvd. by calling 916-732-5900 to check availability and hours (bring your own pitchfork/snow shovel, buckets, tarp, etc.). Hours are typically Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. One young tree needs two or three 5-gallon buckets of wood chips. If you have a flexible timeframe and can take a larger amount between 12-25 cubic yards (which will cover ~1,000 sq ft), contact a local tree care company or ChipDrop to ask about free delivery.  

During the spring and summer months, some water providers offer free wood chips for pickup at local mulch madness events. Contact your water provider for more information. If you need a specific quantity, delivery within a specified timeframe, and/or more uniform chip sizes, some tree care companies and green waste facilities provide this product for sale. 

Other resources:

We have many blog articles, video tutorials, and other resources online that may answer your question. Visit sactree.org/treecare to find our best tips for growing healthy trees.