Trees do quite a bit to draw people to a Northeast Ohio homeowner’s association (HOA).
First of all, they’re beautiful. From trees that bring fragrant florals in the spring to those that dazzle the eye with color in the fall, you can’t deny their aesthetic impact.
They also bring cooling shade on hot days. Planted near homes, trees can even lower air-conditioning needs by 30 percent, experts say.
Trees are also naturally enjoyable, peaceful, and relaxing. Many studies show that exposure to trees can reduce mental fatigue and stress.
On top of all of these benefits, trees add value to properties. There’s quite literally nothing you can’t love about trees.
But HOA tree care, unfortunately, doesn’t always happen proactively like it should. Think about it. Those gorgeous trees on your property that add so much value and bring attention and people into your HOA took quite a while to grow into the attractive specimens they are today. Replacing them with trees of the same size and value isn’t usually possible once a tree is unsavable.
To protect your large leafy investments, you need an HOA tree management plan.
What Should an HOA Tree Management Plan Include?
Trees may seem like the strongest, most stable, natural wonders on your property. But they have needs to.
Unfortunately, the longer you let an issue like a disease or pest grow, the more expensive it becomes to fix … until the tree can’t fight back anymore and it must be removed and replaced.
Your goal to keep your budget and property values in check is to provide trees with the proactive maintenance they need to keep any problems from sneaking in and taking over.
Here are the HOA tree services you need to keep your trees thriving.
Tree Fertilization
Effective nutrition management for trees is particularly important for trees in urban and suburban communities.
Here’s why: When trees grow in a forest, they receive those natural nutrients they need from the forest floor. In a typical neighborhood, however, they don’t have that, so they may be missing some essential nutrients.
Regular fertilizer applications may be necessary to ensure your trees are receiving adequate nutrition.
This HOA tree service is typically a part of a standard commercial maintenance program.
Mulch Application
A traditional commercial landscape maintenance contract also usually includes an annual mulch application.
Mulch can be a tree’s best friend because it insulates the soil, helping it retain water. It prevents soil compaction around the tree and also keeps a nice barrier between a lawn area that needs mowed and a tree trunk to avoid accidental machine damage.
Mulch also keeps weeds away and retains water so tree roots stay moist.
There’s no denying mulch is an essential HOA tree care ally. 
Proper Pruning
Proper and precise tree pruning is a much needed HOA tree service.
Correct pruning is a great way to eliminate dead, dying, or diseased/decaying branches. These branches are your biggest safety hazards on your HOA property. They are the first to fall, for instance, in a strong storm that comes with aggressive winds. To enhance safety measures on your property and decrease your liability, pruning these branches annually is a good idea.
There are also other great reasons to prune trees: to enhance flowering in certain species in the spring, to direct growth patterns, and to keep branches away from buildings or homes.
Tree pruning is typically an add-on HOA tree service. Another level of pruning that can be added to an HOA landscape maintenance program is dormant pruning. This takes place in the winter months and is a slightly heavier pruning done when trees are dormant that results in a burst of healthy growth come spring. 
Insect and Disease Prevention
Getting an early start when dealing with insect or disease issues on trees can make a huge difference in their longevity. Prevention is always better than reaction because you save money on unnecessary treatments in your HOA tree management plan.
One way to get ahead of these problems is by having professional eyes on your property regularly monitoring your trees. That combined with proper mulching, pruning, and fertilization can keep them healthy, thriving, and able to thwart pests.
And if something does get in, they should see it early enough to get ahead of any problem before it progresses too quickly.
These services, if needed, are usually an addition to your regular maintenance contract, but your service provider can alert you to issues ahead of time, ensuring you're aware of what may be necessary and when.
Be Proactive When It Comes to HOA Tree Care
The trees on your Northeast Ohio property are valuable. Maintaining them with these simple HOA tree services gives you an edge. You keep these assets in check, and benefit from their constant positive benefits.
Confused at where to start as you look around at all of the trees on your property? We understand. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin or understand what state your trees are currently in.
Proactive tree care is something you should budget for in advance. Have your service provider do a thorough inspection of your trees and recommend a plan of attack.
Then decide on a long-term, tree care program to help keep your trees in the best condition possible … and save you money in the long-term.
This process should also be about building confidence in the service partnership you have in place. You want a commercial landscape maintenance pro who communicates with you regularly and will keep you in the loop on any urgent or pending tree care needs.
Want to learn more about our HOA tree care services? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can feel confident and make a great choice.
