Page 19 2026 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April 2026 too much water is bad as well. Over-watering is a common tree care mistake. Please note that moist is different than soggy, and you can judge this by feel. A damp soil that dries for a short period will allow adequate oxygen to permeate the soil.” To check the moisture of the soil, a garden trowel can be used. It should be inserted two inches into the ground. Next, move the blade of the trowel back and forth to create a small narrow trench. Then use your finger to touch the soil. If it is moist to the touch, then they do not need water. Your tree will also need occasional pruning to reduce the size of the canopy and remove dead or damaged branches. Before pruning, you need to identify the trunk and skeleton, which are the thicker branches of the tree. As you prune the tree, do it from the ground up cutting any branches that are diseased, broken or dead. The canopy, which is the top layer of the tree, should also be thinned out. The Family Handyman says, “Thin out the canopy by cutting branches that cross over each other and block light. These branches smother other branches, preventing light from filtering through to the rest of the tree.” As you cut these branches make sure you do not cut more than 25 percent of the tree’s total height. The Family Handyman suggests cutting “one out of every four to five branches” in order “to create room for growth, which happens through light exposure.” Finally, Sternberg says you need to remember that trees grow in different ways. Some types, especially small ornamental trees and fruit trees, tend to be deliquescent, which means they have naturally forming spreading limbs with no extending central leader. This is common with many fruit trees, and their natural form gives you a head start on pruning. Sternberg says some others, including many nut trees and most forest trees, tend to be excurrent, which means they try to develop vertical central trunks reaching for the sky. Converting them into deliquescent food trees requires a lot more constant work and it is not the best way to cultivate such trees without constant attention. On the plus side, Sternberg says most nut trees can grow normally and drop their crops safely from far above reach. Simply rake the nuts up from the ground in perfect condition because they are strong and not damaged by falling.
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