6 Summer Tree Care Tips All Northern Virginia Homeowners Must Know

As we enter the summer and spend more time outside, it’s the perfect opportunity to take care of your trees. Summer is one of the most stressful seasons for them, with danger from insects, diseases, drought, heat, and more. Learn more about how to help your trees through the summer and when to call a professional for assistance.

Key Takeaways:

• Monitor trees for insect damage and disease symptoms during summer when pests are most active, seeking professional help at the first signs of trouble.
• During drought conditions, provide supplemental deep watering to trees, especially young ones, while being careful not to overwater or water at the base of the trunk.
• Summer pruning can improve light penetration and air circulation; keep pruning light to minimize vulnerability to active insects and diseases.
• Maintain proper mulch depth (2-4 inches) around trees and ensure it’s not piled against the trunk.
• Summer is an ideal time to identify and remove dangerous or dead trees before storm season and to schedule professional fall fertilization before service calendars fill up.

6 Things to Do to Help Care for Your Northern Virginia Trees This Summer

Don’t neglect your trees this summer, as a little work from you can make a substantial difference in their lives. Here are six things you should consider for your trees this summer to keep them healthy and thriving.

1. Monitor for Signs of Insect Damage (and Call a Professional for Help)

Insects and diseases are most active in the hot summer months. Some of them are minor problems and cause mostly aesthetic damage. Others can quickly kill a tree and force you to remove it. Stopping insects and diseases from securing a foothold with preventive treatments and early detection can save your tree.

Keep an eye out for some of the typical signs of common tree diseases and insects, such as:

• Damaged leaves
• Discolored leaves
• Holes in the trunk
• Dead patches in the canopy
• Premature leaf drop
• Increased insect activity around your tree

If you notice any of these signs, don’t wait to call an arborist for an evaluation. If an arborist determines they are sick, they can suggest a treatment plan to try and help it recover and future preventive work to keep your tree standing for years to come.

PRO TIP: Fairfax County’s guide to forest pests covers many of the insects commonly found in Northern Virginia, along with tips for identifying and managing them.

2. Water Trees During a Drought to Relieve Stress

Droughts are one of the most harmful things for your trees, as they rely on rainwater to keep themselves healthy and vigorous. Young saplings are especially prone to drought stress, as they don’t have the same luxury of water reserves and wide root networks as mature ones.

To determine if your trees could benefit from supplemental water, you’ll need to determine if you are in a drought. The easiest way to find this information is to visit the Drought.gov page for Fairfax County. Our area has been dealing with drought conditions from the summer of 2024 into the spring of 2025, and many trees have suffered during this period.

You’ll also need to look for common signs of drought stress, such as:

• Wilting
• Discolored leaves
• Leaf scorch
• Dead branches
• Leaf drop
• Bark cracks

When watering a tree, the goal is to get the water deep into the soil to provide adequate hydration to the roots. You can set up an irrigation system if you have the space and know-how. Alternatively, you can use a soaker hose to get the water deep and avoid disturbing the soil. Some other tips include:

• Water in the morning, if possible, to avoid water evaporating from the sun.
• Water deeply and extensively in one session, rather than multiple light sessions.
• Do not water the base of the tree.
• Avoid overwatering the tree, as this can damage the roots.

3. Schedule Professional Pruning

You may have read that winter is the best time to prune a tree. While it is true that winter is often best for major structural pruning, that doesn’t mean you have to put away the pruning tools as soon as the weather warms up.

Pruning your trees in the summer comes with unique advantages, just like doing it in the winter. Summer allows you to see a tree fully leafed out, giving you a more complete picture of the canopy’s density and size. It also gives you a chance to increase your tree’s resistance to storm damage.

Armed with this information, professional pruning can correct some of the common problems for your trees in the summer, including:

• Removing competing branches that are rubbing against each other
• Reducing canopy density to open up light penetration and air circulation
• Shaping a tree for better aesthetics or to avoid it growing into utility lines
• Eliminating dead, diseased, or broken branches

“While there are a lot of benefits to pruning in the summer, the one thing to keep in mind is to keep it light. Insects and diseases are active in the summer, and the wounds from pruning will be a big target for them on your tree. So only remove the branches you need, and save the major structural pruning for the winter when insects aren’t active.” – Eric Gibbons, Riverbend ISA Certified Arborist.

4. Check Your Mulch and Add More if Needed

Mulch has numerous benefits for your trees, and summer is a perfect time to check the mulch around your trees. Weather and human activity have a habit of displacing mulch, and organic wood chips will eventually break down and require replenishment.

In the summer, you’ll want to check two main things with the mulch:

• Examine Mulch Levels: Ideally, the woodchips around your tree should be between two and four inches deep. If you notice decomposition has taken those levels down too low, add some more in the summer to allow it to continue to add nutrients to the soil.
• Remove Piled-Up Mulch: Wind and foot traffic can cause mulch to pile up against a tree trunk. This can lead to decay and act as a breeding ground for fungi. Remove any piled-up mulch to keep your tree healthy.

5. Schedule Your Fall Fertilization

Though the summer has just begun, and it feels like cooler fall weather is a long time away, it’s never too early to start thinking about scheduling professional fall fertilization. Fertilization can benefit your trees when there is a nutrient deficiency, whether established or newly transplanted.

Fall is one of the best times to fertilize your trees, as it allows them to slowly get the nutrients throughout the winter and to start the spring with a boost. Fall fertilization services often fill up quickly, so consider getting on the schedule in the summer to save your place.

Sometimes, tree removal is the only option for a tree for the safety of your property and family.

6. Remove Any Dangerous Trees

You can remove a tree in any season (as long as the weather cooperates), but summer is an excellent time to remove any dangerous trees. It’s easier to tell if your tree is dead or unstable in the summer, as you can quickly see the lack of leaves and dead bark.

Dead or damaged trees can be hazardous during a storm if they have a target in range. Preventive tree removal can protect your property from storm damage and give you peace of mind during a Northern Virginia storm.

Frequently Asked Questions About Caring for Your Trees in the Summer

To help you know what to do and what not to do for your trees in the summer, we’ve answered some common questions homeowners have about what to do for their trees.

Are there trees that you shouldn’t prune in the summer?

While it’s okay to do light trimming to most trees, there are some that are at higher risk of contracting a deadly disease, namely, oak and elm trees. Always talk with an arborist before pruning either of these trees to avoid opening them up to the risk of contracting a disease.

What should I do for a tree after a storm in Northern Virginia?

After the worst of the storm is over, we recommend inspecting your trees and looking for any signs of damage. Pruning can eliminate broken or damaged branches that are more likely to fail in the next storm and reduce stress so your tree can focus energy on healthy growth.

Should I fertilize my trees in the summer?

Typically, we recommend waiting until fall for fertilization, as fertilizing in the summer can cause too much growth that won’t be able to survive the winter.

Need Help with Your Trees This Summer? Trust the Pros at Riverbend!

When your trees seem to be struggling in the summer, it’s crucial to take action to ensure they get back to full strength. While it’s simple for homeowners to lay down mulch or water a tree, leave complicated jobs like removal and pruning to the professionals. That’s where the experienced team at Riverbend Landscape and Tree Service comes in.

We offer comprehensive tree care for Northern Virginia homeowners to keep properties beautiful and trees healthy. We can handle tree pruning, removal, fall fertilization, insect treatments, and more. Call us today at 703-402-9366 or request an estimate online.