Can More Leaves Actually Be Bad For Your Garden? A Look At Air Flow And Tree Health
ShareA nice tree canopy full of green leaves might look lush and beautiful, but it can actually be a bit harmful for your tree's health and the health of other plants in your yard if the tree's growth is left unchecked. Leaves allow the tree to perform photosynthesis, but they also block sunlight from reaching the ground. That's great if you're trying to provide shade, but not so great if too many leaves block air flow through the canopy's branches.
What a Full Tree Canopy Actually Does to the Tree and to Nearby Plant Life
When a tree canopy is chock full of leaves, those leaves block air flow through the interior of the canopy. Sure, strong winds can move the leaves, but on days when there's little to no wind, the air flow through the canopy can be slow, leading to stagnant air and growing humidity within the canopy.
That increased humidity contributes to fungal problems on the leaves and branches, and the stillness can make the canopy attractive to pests as a possible hiding place. The thick clusters of leaves can also stop sunlight from penetrating to the ground, creating a space where only shade-loving plants can thrive. That's OK if you already have only shade-loving plants there, but it's not so great if your original garden plan was for dappled shade.
Why Trimming to Increase Air Flow Is Necessary
You have to trim branches and twigs within the canopy to open it up. Removing these bits and pieces actually won't ruin the shade effect for your home or benches under the tree. It may introduce partial sun in certain areas, depending on the angle of the space from the cuts and the position of the sun during the day, so you may need to do a little garden work after the tree trimming. Once you do have the canopy thinned, the air flow will increase and help keep the rest of the tree healthier.
How to Adjust Your Garden After Trimming
After the canopy has been thinned, spend a few days watching the area to see how much more light hits the ground. It could be that the shade doesn't change, or that it changes only a little. What you want to do is ensure that if any sunlight does reach the ground after the trimming, the plants there will be able to handle the amount of exposure. You may need to replace some plants, but not that many; canopy thinning doesn't remove whole swaths of branches.
You'll need a tree service to handle the canopy-thinning job. This is for both safety reasons and for the expertise, as the workers at the tree service will have a better idea of which branches to trim. Contact a service, like Treetime Inc, for more help.