Most trees develop rapidly during summer months. Continual care is recommended throughout the year. Be sure to cut back all low hanging branches. With the sheer weight of leaf development, lower branches hang down and have a tendency to break off during the summer. Always remove sucker branches that grow on the lower trunk. Even remove, with an axe, any new shoots coming out of the ground near the base of the tree. Cut off any dead branches by sawing them flush to the tree. Examine leaves and bark for insect problems. Depending on the tree, like the Emerald Ash, bores may be present as well. Even carpenter ants can be devestating to trees. Especially discourage small ants from developing huge colonies in or around the root system. Trees are very much alive, so listen to what they are saying. If they could speak, they would say "Help me, please."