Hear why kids think trees are important.

The experts at SavATree know the value of trees. Trees provide oxygen, shade, privacy, food, beauty and so much more. Hear what these kids had to say about trees.

The importance of Trees

A piece reminding us all how valuable trees are to this world.

What Do Trees Do For the Planet?

From our very early school years we're told that trees are an essential part of our ecosystem. That we should take care of them and not cut them down. But why? What do trees really do and why are they so important to our planet?

To begin, trees produce oxygen. Trees act like filters that clean our air. In one season a single tree produces as much oxygen as 10 humans will consume in an entire year. Without trees we wouldn't have clean oxygen to breath.

In addition to producing oxygen trees also absorb the harmful gasses that live in the air such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. By lowering the air temperature trees are able to remove air pollution.

Trees also clean the soil. They filter sewage, reduce the effects of animal wastes, clean roadside spills and filter farm chemicals to either convert harmful pollutants in the soil to helpful ones, or to absorb them altogether.

In terms of our immediate interests, trees are a great way to filter out loud noises. It is proven that trees muffle noise as much as a stone wall. It's no wonder that people who live in the countryside live such calm existences. This is a key benefit to developing green areas within urban centres.

Trees are also known for their ability to cool and shade. From a sustainable energy perspective, this might mean reducing the constraint of natural resources by planting a big tree on the outside of the sunny side of a building. Not only will this keep the people in the building cool during summer months, but it will do so while lowering the electricity bill. Of course trees also provide to shade to individuals sitting beneath them and large areas surrounded by them.

Those are the environmental benefits of trees but what about their social and communal benefits? After all trees are beautiful and therefore make life more beautiful. Lying in a hammock under a weeping willow calms us in a way that only a weeping willow can do. Watching the flowers of a magnolia tree open in the spring can't be replaced by anything else either.

Trees that exist within the public parts of a community belong to the whole community. They are the trees that the children of that community will grow up playing on. Swinging on their branches, building forts in their crowns and reading beneath.

Trees are a critical part of our planet for a number of reasons, which is why they need to be taken care of. Love the trees that surround you and your planet will thank you for it.

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The Green Benefits of Having Trees

We all know that trees are a calming, strong presence to have in our lives and that they are sorely missed when none are to be found. However, trees also offer amazing green benefits to their environment and the people who live near them. The benefits are numerous, but here are a few of the most impressive benefits that trees offer their surrounding areas and resident tree lovers.

Lower Energy Usage

Trees offer the surprising benefit of providing homes with lower energy usage and costs. Homes shaded by trees end up using less energy to cool their homes in the summer because their trees block and absorb the sun's rays before they can enter and heat the home. The opposite is true in the winter; because the trees have dropped their leaves in the fall, sunlight is able to enter the house and warm it, meaning homeowners waste marginally less energy trying to warm their homes in the cold.

Cleaner Air Quality

Trees are invaluable for their ability to clean our mess out of the air. Because they breathe carbon dioxide and release oxygen, trees are able to absorb the pollution we create in our every day lives and give us back the pure, clean air we need in order to breathe.

Erosion Reduction

Thanks to their extensive root networks, trees can help reduce erosion and flooding by retaining more storm water in their nearby soil. By reducing erosion and flooding, trees are able to reduce the pollution that washes into our storm drains. This creates a healthier overall ecosystem because it prevents much of the damage pollution can cause to smaller plant life and area wildlife. A healthier ecosystem is also beneficial to our personal health.

Keep Your Trees Healthy

To reap all of the eco-friendly benefits that trees offer, you need to be sure to keep the trees in your life healthy. The best way to do this is to make sure they are properly pruned and checked for damage at least annually by an arborist or professional tree service. These tree specialists have made the health and care of trees their life's work, and they will do everything possible to keep you and your trees safe throughout their life cycle. When trees do die or become a safety hazard, your professional tree service will also be able to help you remove the trees from your property and give them a new life as firewood or mulch.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6993537

How to Choose Healthy Trees

Cities without trees would be awful. They would be hot, shadeless, soulless and very boring. I love trees, they provide colour, interest, a sense of belonging, a sense of scale and are overall just great! Trees are often planted for the next or even next generation as many of them can take decades to mature. Choosing a healthy tree is really important because it could live for 100s of years. If you plant a damaged specimen, down the track, it is going to cost you money, cause you grief and put the development of a garden canopy back years.

A healthy tree is one that has no major wounds, has shiny green leaves, has no unusual growths, is sturdy, has good branch attachments in the U shape, has no pests attacking it, is not oozing any liquids or sugars and generally is looking good. When you look up into the canopy, it should block out most of the sky. If you can see large amounts of blue, then it could be a sign its stressed. Stresses could be due to possums and other wild life eating the leaves, lack of water due to drought, too much water due to floods or caterpillars and insects eating the leaves. There are also lots of diseases that could be attacking it or the tree is senescence - nearing the end of its natural life. Also make sure you don't confuse autumn leaf drop with thinning canopy of a sick tree.

When buying a new tree from a nursery, you have the right to pull the tree out of the display and walk around it, checking it out for any broken branches, wounds or any other defects. If you find any do not buy that particular specimen. Also look at how long the the plant has been in the pot. If the roots are popping out the bottom, the potting mix looks dull and lifeless and there are weeds growing in it, it is highly likely that this plant has been in the nursery for more than 12 months and is probably root-bound. This is not a good specimen to buy.

Root bound trees are where the roots have grown round and round and round themselves in the pot and will continue this way when they are planted out. This is a problem because as they mature there is no root system anchoring them to the ground. A gust of wind can knock it over and cause a lot of damage to you and any building it falls on. To prevent this is it always important to tease out the roots of any trees grown in pots before you plant them.

Understanding a Trees Root System

There are two types of roots - structural and feeder. The structural roots are the ones that anchor the tree to the soil and can be a thick as your forearm or thigh. The feeder roots are delicate, absorb the water and nutrients, are white, only live for a day or two and are constantly being replaced. They are located at the end of the root system. They are very easily damaged. Roots general grow laterally and sometimes you can follow a structural root for many many meters. You often see this when walking in the bush and it is fun to try and see where it is going. It is really really important you don't prune off any structural roots because you may inadvertently create an unstable tree.

How to tell if a sapling is anchored firmly in the ground.

The Burnley method devised at Burnley College Melbourne, is a simple test to see if the sapling (young tree) has established a good root system. This is a test for a tree that has been in the ground for several years. Stand in front of the tree, place both your hands on the trunk in front of you and see you can rock the trunk. If you can feel it moving in the ground and/or see the ground heaving at the base of the trunk, then this tree could have something seriously wrong with its root system. This could be due to disease, damage or insects attacking the roots. If you do nothing and leave the specimen as is, it will develop into a potential risk.

There are two options, remove it immediately or stake it during the growing season and see if this will help it firm up. Remember, you must remove the stakes at the end of autumn. If it is still moving in the ground, then the hard decision of removing the tree may have too be made. Long-term staking actually hinders trees establishing a secure root system because the trees become reliant on the stakes to hold them up and it prevents them from moving in the wind and being forced to establish a strong root system. Never, leave a tree staked for years and then remove it. The next windy day, will blow your tree over or worst snap it off at the base.

The reason why the tree hasn't established a strong root system is mostly due to being root bound and that is why it is important not to buy trees that have been in a nursery for years. They are not safe trees. Also when buying a tree from a nursery, look at the ratio of canopy to pot size. This will determine whether the root system is big enough to support the tree when planted. I have seen some trees with huge canopies and very tiny root systems. There is no way that the root system can support the weight of the canopy. Don't buy these top heavy trees, they are an accident waiting to happen.

How to Plant a Tree Properly

Planting a new tree properly is really important because you want it to develop into a strong and healthy specimen. Firstly, it is important to dig a wide hole rather than a deep hole, (as long as it is a deep as the pot the plant came in) and that is because there a myth that plant roots grow vertically. In reality most plant roots grow laterally (sideways) as this is where most of the oxygen is. The deeper down, the less Co2 is present and therefore the roots can not respire (taking in oxygen). The majority of the trees roots are in the first 1/2 meter of soil where most of the oxygen and moisture is. Many trees die because they are incorrectly planted; they are planted either too deep or too shallow.

If the trunk is too deep, the roots can't get oxygen and the trunk will rot. If the roots are sticking out above the soil, then they will dry out and eventually die. The correct way to plant is to have the join where the trunk and roots meet planted at ground level. And if you are not happy with the first planting, pull it out and try again. (Warning, do it immediately, do not let several months go by because you could like the tree). As the tree matures, you should be able to see a nice flair at the base of the trunk developing. If you can not, then it is incorrectly planted.

Tip: To help prevent root balling - dig a square hole - it forces the roots to grow laterally.

I don't believe in putting at the bottom of the hole compost, animal or fertiliser because when it decomposes, it causes the tree to sink, thus causing it to be planted to deeply. Compost and animal manure also can hold onto the water, making it unable to the new plant. This causes the root ball to dry out as it is almost impossible to rewet it again and they die. I do believe in putting compost, manure and mulch around the plant when I have finished back filling with the unadulterated soil that I have dug out of the hole. For any tree issues I recommend you employ a qualified arborist who has the expertise to understand what is happening within the tree's biology and root system. It may be expensive but it is money well spent. If you are unhappy with advice, then I recommend getting a second opinion. Enjoy your trees.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6040157

Healthy Trees and Healthy Lawns Increase Property Value

Growing up next door to a lawn fanatic, I learned quickly that it's important to maintain a healthy lawn and garden; as well as how to do so. It becomes a part of the investment of owning a home and property. I used to take pride in my yard, but living in various apartments and houses over the past five years has made it difficult to care. However, I have respect for those homes that take the time to care for their lawn. Well-kept homes, well-landscaped homes for sale, attract potential buyers better than those homes with dry grass.

It is somewhat easy to keep yards trimmed and green by yourself, without lawn companies visiting your home. However, there are certain lawn maintenance tasks that shouldn't be do-it-yourself or D.I.Y. projects. Tree pruning, for example, is a routine chore that keeps your trees healthy and your property investment worthwhile. This is a job for the professional. Improper tree pruning can result in a loss of property value. Proper pruning involves spurless climbing and no stubs. Pruning is like picking dead flowers off plants. It makes them healthier and gives more room for new life to grow. In top heavy tress, tree pruning helps reduce wind sail and balance the crown. Gardeners wanting to improve their yields should know that fruit tree pruning is important.

Pruning services can be allocated through any tree service business. Kalamazoo tree removal takes pride in proper yard care, removal, and land clearance. In the midst of a terrible storm, they are available too. View clearance is another way to increase property value. Homes that are on the lake or have a beautiful countryside landscape view deserve to be on display for future homeowners, even current owners who want a view rather than dead leaves and brush.

Clearance, if done the wrong way, will potentially kill the living trees you have in your yard. "Topping" trees means completely removing the upper tops of trees. This does more harm than good. If you want view clearance, total tree removal or skillful trimming is the best options.

Lawn care is easy to do yourself. The bigger jobs, like tree pruning or view clearances should be left to the tree service professionals. Honestly, they are more dangerous tasks too. You don't need a tree falling on your while you're tree trimming. The professionals understand the importance of maintaining property value. And respect your want to a healthy lawn.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7172076

Pruning Landscape Trees

Flowering and shade trees in the landscape require periodic pruning to control size and shape, to correct undesirable growth, and to remove low-hanging or damaged branches. In this short video, learn the tools and techniques you'll need to correctly perform pruning to not only to improve the appearance of your landscaping, but also the health of your trees.

Shade Trees in the Landscape

UNL Extension Educator John Fech talks about good shade trees and proper placement for the maximum benefit around your home

Planting Bare-Root Trees

Late November and December are the best months for planting bare-root trees into the garden. These are trees that are field grown and lifted in the autumn when the leaves fall off; which this year is a little later than normal. The reason its good to plant now is because the soil is moist, but still reasonably warm which means that a newly planted tree will start to make root growth as soon as it is planted.

Summer pruning

Summer pruning may not be needed every year or for every tree, but where excessive new woody growth is made, there are benefits from thinning out some of the new growth to regulate the tree. Doing this in mid-to-late summer allows more light to fall on the apples which will lead to better colour and less apple scab, you are also going to prevent the tree getting overcrowded in future years.

Big, tall growing 'standard' apple trees, the sort you hang a swing from and sit in the shade beneath, cannot realistically be summer pruned, these trees find their own balance but in any event are usually more architectural/beautiful than fruit prduction units. But for restricted forms such as cordons, espaliers and dwarf bushes, summer pruning can be very helpful and even essential. As always, think about the needs of the tree and use your judgement

How to Prune Grapes -- Summer

Tricia shows you how to trim your grape vines in the summer months. Learn how to thin fruit, tuck vines, and sucker trunks. Details in our blog post http://groworganic.com/organic-gardening/articles/pruning-grapes-in-the-summe.... All you need to grow organic, in one place at our site http://www.groworganic.com.