The sun hits the side of a Hot Springs house. Red and yellow leaves turn on the oak branches. A water hose rests on the dry ground near the trunk.
The 2026 summer drought hit Garland County hard. Trees spent four months fighting for water in the baked dirt. October arrives with cooler nights. Homeowners call us to ask about fall tree care in Hot Springs.
October gives you a narrow window to prepare your property for the coming freeze. You have specific jobs to finish right now. Other tasks must wait for late winter. We prepared a list of eight October jobs for Garland County homeowners. Two of them need a bucket truck, and we bring it.
Water deep because the drought continues
The summer heat breaks in October. The ground stays warm beneath the surface. Your trees still pull moisture from the deep soil. The roots need heavy water volume to recover from the severe 2026 summer.
According to retired Arkansas Extension horticulturist Gerald Klingaman, “A sprinkler left running for several hours will do more good for the tree. Ideally a tree should have 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week but this late into the drought don’t expect much visible results from your efforts this growing season.”
You water the dirt now to protect the root system. Deep watering pushes moisture down past the topsoil. It reaches the anchor roots below. The tree stores this energy for the spring flush.
Damage from severe dry spells takes time to show. Gerald Klingaman writes, “The long-term aftermath of the drought on old trees will be felt over the next three to five years.”
Keep the hose going through October. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension September guide says to “Monitor rainfall and water plants accordingly.”
Place the hose near the drip line. The drip line is the circle on the ground directly under the outermost leaves. Turn the water on a slow trickle.
Leave the hose for two hours. Move the hose to the opposite side of the tree. Let the water soak deep into the dirt. You can read our guide to recognizing drought stress in trees in Arkansas on our site.
Fix the mulch ring the right way
Mulch acts as a blanket for the soil. It traps moisture near the roots. It regulates the soil temperature during cold October nights.
Organic wood chips break down rapidly over the hot summer. The decomposition exposes the soil to the air. Bare soil loses valuable moisture to the dry autumn wind. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension September guide directs homeowners to “Replenish mulch, as needed, particularly around trees and shrubs.”
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension October guide repeats the instruction. It says to “Replenish mulch, as needed.”
Spread fresh wood chips around the base of your trees and watch the depth. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension fall tree care page states, “The depth of an organic mulch should not exceed 3 inches after settling.”
Deep mulch suffocates roots and traps water against the bark. Wet bark rots, and rotting wood invites pests.
Pull the mulch back from the base of the tree. Leave a wide gap between the wood chips and the bark. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension makes a clear rule. They state, “Never pile mulch against the trunk.”
A proper mulch ring looks like a flat donut. The center stays completely empty. The outer edges spread wide to the drip line.
Leave established trees without fertilizer
Homeowners want to feed their trees after a hard summer. They buy bags of fertilizer in October. This action harms the tree.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension fall tree care guide addresses this habit. It states, “It is generally not necessary to fertilize established trees and shrubs.”
Trees pull nutrients from the native soil. Garland County dirt holds what an adult oak requires to survive. Mature root systems spread far enough to find necessary minerals.
Nitrogen forces the tree to push out new green growth. New leaves in October drain the stored energy reserves. The roots need that energy to survive the winter.
Frost kills tender new leaves in November. The tree wastes valuable resources on dead tissue. Keep the fertilizer in the shed.
Let the tree prepare for winter sleep naturally. Water remains the only additive your established tree needs right now.
Hold off on shape pruning until spring
October is the wrong month for major cosmetic cuts. You want to shape the canopy for next year. Wait for the dormant season.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension September guide gives a clear warning. It says, “Avoid fertilizing/heavily pruning shrubs at this time as this will encourage regrowth that will not have time to harden off before winter.”
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension October guide adds another reason. It warns to “Avoid hard pruning at this time as many plants, namely spring-blooming plants, are setting buds for next year.”
Fresh cuts stimulate the inner wood. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension fall tree care page explains the science. They write, “Pruning is an invigorating process which puts the tree in ‘growth mode,’ ‘de-hardening’ the plant and making it more susceptible to winter injury.”
Winter injury damages the cambium layer beneath the bark. The cold weather freezes the active cells. The tree struggles to recover when spring arrives in April.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension fall tree care page gives the correct timing. It states, “In general, the ideal time to prune ornamental trees is just before rapid growth in the spring.”
We follow these guidelines on every job. Our Hot Springs pruning calendar maps out the safe cutting windows for different species.
Remove dead and cracked limbs immediately
Safety cuts ignore the calendar. Dead wood falls when the wind blows. Cracked branches break under heavy weight.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension shrub reference desk covers this rule. It instructs, “Broken limbs or branches should be cleaned up as soon as you notice them.”
Look up into the canopy. Dead leaves hanging on a single branch indicate a broken limb. Bark peeling away from the wood exposes a dead section. Branches resting on your roof pose an immediate threat.
These heavy limbs fall during severe October thunderstorms. They puncture your roof shingles. They crush your aluminum gutters.
Our team handles these hazards right now. We bring a bucket truck and a chipper to your property. We bring the limb down safely.
When we provide tree trimming and pruning, we focus strictly on dead wood during the fall. We remove the danger. We leave the live branches alone.
We respect the volume limit for any cutting project. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension tree pruning page warns homeowners about removing too much wood. It states, “Just make sure you don’t remove more than one third of the growth of the tree.” We apply this standard to storm damage cleanup.
Write down the February cut list
October provides excellent visibility into the canopy structure. The leaves begin to fall. The branch structure shows.
Grab a notebook and go out into the yard. Look at the heavy crossing branches high in the tree. Find the smaller limbs rubbing against each other in the wind.
Write down the cuts you want to make in February. Identify the low branches hitting your car. Mark the limbs blocking your driveway. Add any mistletoe in your trees to that list, because you can spot it best in a bare crown in late fall.
February brings the dormant season, when the tree rests. The sap stops flowing. The cold weather keeps insects away from the fresh cuts.
Dormant pruning prepares the tree for healthy spring growth. The wounds seal fast in March.
Our winter schedule fills up quickly. Garland County property owners book their dormant season cuts months in advance. Call us in October.
We evaluate the property. We list the branches for removal. We put you on the schedule for late winter.
Paul Clower evaluates every property before we make a single cut. He agrees the drop zone and the access route with you. He gives you a firm plan for the winter dormant season.
Check the base and forks before ice arrives
Winter storms bring heavy loads to weak wood. Ice breaks weak branches in your yard.
Jaret Rushing is an extension forestry instructor. He wrote about winter weather in an article titled From ice to insects. He warns, “It only takes about one-tenth of an inch of ice accumulation for damage to occur on weaker limbs or on trees that are small or previously damaged.”
Look your trees over now. Look at the base of the trunk. Check for soft spots in the wood. Examine the ground for heaving soil.
Heaving dirt indicates a failing root system. You can read our guide to learn is a leaning tree dangerous on your property.
Check the forks. A fork is the place where two large branches meet. Look for dark cracks running down the center of the V-shape. Look for water trapped in the crotch of the tree.
Weak forks split under ice weight. The split ruins the tree. Half the canopy crashes to the ground.
Some weak forks require structural support. We install tree bracing and cabling systems. Steel cables limit the movement of the heavy limbs. Steel braces hold the cracked forks together.
Cabling adds strength before the January ice storms hit Hot Springs. We install these systems in October. We use our skid steer and bucket truck to access the high canopy safely. We evaluate your structural risks during a site visit.
You can review our tree services to see how we manage hazardous trees in Garland County.
Free estimates in Hot Springs and Garland County
Clower Tree Service operates a crew of five people in Garland County. We have ten years of experience managing local trees. We are bonded and insured. We own our equipment.
We bring a bucket truck, a chipper, a skid steer, and an equipment trailer to handle heavy debris. We serve Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Garland County, and Malvern. When a project needs an outside specialist, we bring one in.
Please move your vehicles out of the driveway before we arrive. Contact us to schedule a site visit.
You can visit us at 363 Kaufman Rd, Hot Springs, AR 71913. Call us at 501.538.1606 or email info@clowertrees.com. Get your free estimate today.