5 Ways to Make Sustainability Grow on Trees
Keep your trees in top shape
We hope you enjoyed our 25 easy tips to boost your sustainability, but we’re not done yet! Last, but certainly not least, in our Green Week festivities is Arbor Day, and we’re celebrating with five bonus tips exclusively for your trees. These evergreen best practices will keep your trees and the environment in top shape.
1. Water Your Trees More Efficiently
If you’re watering your trees with spray irrigation, that valuable water may be landing on the trunk and leaves instead of where it really needs to go. Drip irrigation, reaching out as far as the canopy, applies water where it can sink to the roots. Irrigate in the early morning, around dawn, to reduce water loss from soil evaporation.
And here’s another tip: to help young trees get established, or to mitigate the effects of drought, consider deep root irrigation. Also known as deep water injection, it’s a service that delivers hydration directly to the root depth, making the most of every drop.
2. Mulch Your Trees the Right Way
Piling mulch up against a tree trunk can trap moisture against the bark, which can lead to fungal infections and disease that require chemical applications to clear up. Not to mention, deep mulch makes a great home for pests.
Correct mulching around a tree should look more like a donut, with space in the middle to keep the tree’s root flare exposed.
3. Don’t Commit “Crape Murder”
“Crape murder” is the term for cutting the top off a crape myrtle tree in hopes of achieving better blooms. However, this is a misnomer. Topping the tree actually delays and diminishes flowering as the tree diverts its energy to regrowth. Worse, topping creates weaker branches, unsightly knobs, and leaves the tree vulnerable to rot, disease, and insect infestations. All of these require the use of more resources, potentially including chemical applications, to help the tree recover. Though we’ve called out crape myrtles here, to be clear, topping is never recommended for any tree.
4. Employ Beneficial Fungi
When you plant a new tree, ask your landscape partner to apply a mycorrhizal fungi inoculant to the roots or in the planting hole. Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with many plant families, making them soil superheroes. These fungi can enhance a tree’s nutrient and water uptake, boost resilience to stressors, and improve the soil health. Regularly applying organic mulch and compost can also help support your mycorrhizal fungi population by promoting the conditions it needs to thrive.
5. Give Your Trees Some Compost
Speaking of compost, here’s another reason to make it part of your tree care regimen: it can also increase your soil’s moisture storage. Essentially, compost acts like a sponge, reducing water runoff, erosion, and evaporation from the soil. Most importantly, it makes it easier for trees to withstand periods of drought and could even reduce your frequency of watering. When applying compost, be sure to follow the donut guidance provided above, starting a couple feet from the trunk and extending roughly a foot beyond the tree’s drip line. A layer 1 to 3-inches thick is sufficient.
Which of these tips will you employ this year? Share your picks on social media with our official Green Week badge! And if you need help putting your new sustainability solutions into motion, we can help. Contact us for a free consultation.
