WHY PLANT A TREE?Planting trees is a sustainable way to positively affect the environment:
- Trees Improve air quality by producing oxygen.
- Trees moderate the effects of sun and wind.
- Trees clean the air by trapping dust, pollen and others.
- Trees provide food for wildlife.
- Trees increase property value
- Trees generate jobs.
- Trees contribute raw materials for buildings, books…
- Trees make people happy
HOW TO PLANT A TREE?Planting a tree involves more than digging a hole and tossing in young trees bought on sale!
This guideline covers general tree planting and will yield the best results if followed under supervision of a professional arborist:
- The first step is to get advice on which species are right to plant in your area and consider the future space the tree will need.
- Digg a square hole no deeper than the root ball.
- Fill the empty hole with water and check the drainage (if it takes more than one day to drain, select another site)
- Prune the tree: Remove only dead, broken and diseased branches.
- Set the tree in the hole (always handle by the container or root ball)
- Remove all foreign materials from the root ball (wires, cords…)
- Fill the hole with the same soil that came out of the hole. ( do not add soil amendments)
- Stake the tree only if necessary (consult a professional arborist for this)
- Water the tree for at least the first two years (it requires six to eight gallons of water for every diameter inch of trunk per week)
- Do not fertilize the tree during the first growing season
WHY PRUNE YOUR TREES?Pruning is essential to ensure your trees have a long and healthy life, but using correct technique and timing is really important to get the best results:
- Ask your arborist if they prune according to the American National Standards Institute “ANSI A300”
- Poor pruning can cause damage
- Assess your trees after a storm to see if pruning is needed
- Prune without reason
- Remove more than 25% of foliage during a growing season
- Prune a tree for the first year
- Climb the tree with climbing spikes
- Strip out inner foliage and branches
SOIL & ROOTS
Trees use their roots to draw nutrients from the surrounding soil:
- Test PH levels prior to planting
- Use appropriate fertilizer
- Revitalize your roots
- Water them frequently
- Perform regular checkups
- Apply a layer of much over tree roots
- Select high quality trees
- Avoid planting near concrete
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Poor drainage
- Lack of organic matter
DISEASES AND PESTSDiseases are common plant problems in the landscape, before to take any action you will need a good diagnosis to apply a correct treatment. Ask to a professional Arborist!
Some of most virulent tree diseases:
DAMAGE & PREVENTIONTrees are wonderful for our landscapes, but sometimes bad weather can turn trees in dangerous liabilities.
STORM DAMAGE: If you see any of the following warning signs, they may be at risk:
- Heaving Soil at the tree base
- Decayed areas on the trunk
- Mushrooms growing from the bark
- Wires in contact with the branches