When most people think of golf course maintenance, they think about the tasks focused on the ground level. It takes a lot of work to keep those fairways lush and the greens meticulously manicured. As golfers play their way through 18 holes, they probably only think of the trees as a place to grab a little shade on a hot summer day. However, proper tree maintenance also plays an important part in keeping a golf course beautiful and safe. While it can be done in-house, there are benefits to having tree maintenance performed by a professional tree service.
Knowledge and Experience
A golf course maintenance staff is responsible for various tasks to keep their course in pristine condition. However, all a tree service does is tree maintenance, including everything from tree trimming to tree removal. Their knowledge and expertise will not only keep your golf course beautiful but can help avoid tree maintenance mistakes that could have a negative impact on the golf course as well as the trees. Here are just a few of the mistakes that can result from inexperienced tree maintenance.
The Right Time to Prune
Whenever a tree is pruned, it becomes injured. If pruned at the proper time, the tree will recover from the injury and continue to thrive. Early to mid-spring is the best time to prune the shade trees that are typically found on golf courses. This gives the tree the entire growing season to develop callus tissue and heal properly. If pruned in the fall or early winter, the wound doesn’t have sufficient time to heal and is subject to desiccation, a state of extreme dryness. This loss of moisture can permanently damage trees. Professional tree maintenance can prevent this from happening.
Knowing What to Trim
When the tree canopy is providing too much shade and negatively impacts the turf, it can be tempting to remove many of the lower branches. However, removing too many of these main branches can leave large wounds in the trunk that may never heal properly and result in permanent damage. Tree maintenance professionals will know just which branches to remove to keep both the turf and the tree healthy.
The same is true for very long extended branches that may pose a risk to the turf, a structure, or players on the golf course. They should be trimmed back to the trunk or the spot when it adjoins another branch. Also, someone inexperienced in tree trimming may be tempted to remove the small inter stems on a larger branch, thinking it will prevent future pruning. All this will do is increase the likelihood of branch failure. It will result in reduced photosynthetic potential and carbon storage loss.
Equipment Costs
Having all of the proper equipment to properly and safely conduct tree maintenance is a big investment. In addition to purchasing the equipment, the staff would have to be trained and the equipment properly stored and maintained. This could add up to an extremely large expense for tasks that may only need to be done a few times a year. Hiring a professional tree maintenance service can be a more cost-effective and safer solution.
Professional Tree Maintenance
To avoid damage from improper tree maintenance or purchasing costly equipment, it’s best to hire a professional tree maintenance service. Boulder Hill Tree Service provides professional golf course tree management services to keep your golf course safe and beautiful. From seasonal pruning to major tree removal, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today for a free estimate.