Planting more trees is a noble endeavor. Taking care of them in an eco-friendly way is even better. When it’s time to prepare for your fall property cleanup, your chosen methods impact the planet. The right tools and techniques enhance your outdoor landscape while minimizing emissions, noise and disturbances to wildlife habitats.
Try implementing these seven eco-friendly tree care tips.
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The Healing Power of Trees
Trees are the planet’s carbon scrubbers. Each tree removes between 10 and 40 kilograms from the atmosphere each year. However, that’s far from the only value they provide.
More trees could help keep people cooler as temperatures rise since their canopy can block the sun’s rays. The air temperature directly beneath trees can be up to 25% cooler than that nearby blacktops.
Retrofitting cities with tree-lined pedestrian and bike pathways could combat the urban heat island effect. It could also improve residents’ physical and mental health. In addition to removing carbon, greenery also filters toxins like formaldehyde from the air, levels of which can rise quickly in areas with a lot of traffic.
Additionally, being among the trees improves your mood. Spending time around them lowers stress and anxiety levels, reduces blood pressure and improves mood. Even viewing a natural scene through a hospital window can improve treatment outcomes, the effect is so profound.
Reasons to Plant More Trees on Your Property
If you own your home, planting more trees benefits you, your family and the planet in several ways. One is that it can enhance your enjoyment of outdoor living space by bringing nearby temperatures down a notch.
The planet has already surpassed 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming since the industrial era began, according to at least one study. This figure represents the limits set forth in the Paris Agreement. Some projections suggest the Earth could exceed 3 degrees of warming by the end of the century. Already, wet bulb temperatures make outdoor activities inadvisable when humidity and sun combine to make it so hot that sweating can no longer cool you down.
A few more trees serve as protection, letting you and your kids enjoy your backyard. Additionally, well-planted trees can decrease your home’s energy use. Blocking the sun on your east- and south-facing windows in hot climates prevents turning your windows into ovens.
You can also plant them to shade your air conditioning unit to improve its ability to cool your home. While umbrellas and awnings may decrease efficiency by preventing air flow, the shade that properly distant trees provide can increase AC efficiency by 3%, according to some experts.
Trees enhance privacy. Did a new two-story unit go in next to your single-story home? A row of trees along your fence line keeps nosy neighbors from peeking into your windows from above while you remain unaware. They’re also perfect for blocking power lines or other unpleasant views you prefer not to gaze at from your porch.
Finally, trees provide valuable habitats for wildlife. They’re homes to multiple species of birds, insects and small mammals. Your kids can enjoy countless seasons watching a bird family feast on a homemade feeder they create and place in one of your backyard trees.
5 Eco-Friendly Tree Care Tips
It’s not enough to dig a hole and plop your tree in the ground. The right maintenance protects your investment against disease and infestation while helping it grow quickly and produce maximum shade. Here’s how to take care of yours the eco-friendly way, without harming the planet in the process.
1. Ban the Blower
Do your Saturday morning plans to sleep in inevitably go out the window once the clamorous din of leaf blowers begins? These devices aren’t only noise pollutants. Gas-powered versions also release countless emissions to temporarily move leaves from one place to another — until the wind blows them back.
An old-fashioned rake for leaf cleanup is your most eco-friendly choice, and investing in an adjustable model ensures you can easily get into narrow spaces. If you absolutely must go with a blower, consider an electric version. They produce zero emissions and feature much quieter operation — your neighbors will thank you.
2. Electrify Your Landscaping Tools
Your blower isn’t the only yard tool where a manual or electric version is your most eco-friendly bet. At some point, you’ll need to trim branches back, and an electric chainsaw produces no emissions, runs quieter and is more lightweight, making it safer to operate if upper body strength isn’t among your attributes.
You can also go electric when it’s time for tree care that requires leasing heavy equipment. For example, electric and hybrid tracked lifts get you high enough to trim tall branches while reducing carbon emissions compared to traditional gas models.
3. Cultivate Native Species
When choosing trees to add to your landscape, lend preference to native species. They’re the best suited for your soil type and climate, which will help you minimize water, fertilizer and pesticide use.
Choosing native species doesn’t mean deciding against food-bearing trees. For example, mesquite trees abound across the arid desert southwest, and you can grind their pods into flour that’s naturally gluten-free and high in fiber and protein. Apple trees grow in various climate zones, as do walnuts and hazelnuts, which can be eaten as a snack or ground into flour.
4. Compost the Mess
If you have trees, you will have lawn waste — it’s inevitable. Adding all that organic matter to your garbage bin isn’t eco-friendly. When such materials decay in landfills, they produce dangerous methane, a greenhouse gas heavier than carbon.
Instead, compost it. Chopping larger branches into smaller chunks before adding them to the bin facilitates the breakdown process. Eventually, the old waste will break down into rich soil, which you can use to enrich your trees to help them grow.
5. Put Larger Limbs to Good Use
Sometimes, you’ll have to cut larger branches or even remove a tree. When you do, put the wood to good use. For example, you can cut large rounds into a rustic outdoor table and chairs. You can also slice them into picture-perfect thicknesses for use in wood-burning art projects.
Your larger trimmings can also put more green in your wallet. Although you’ll have to do some research to find the best price, you can sell the wood from trees you remove to put in a gazebo or build a dog run. Donate the proceeds to an environmental cause or use them to buy a new tree to plant elsewhere on your property.
Eco-Friendly Tree Care Tips
Adding more trees to your property is a great way to do your part to fight carbon emissions. Each one works like a scrub brush to reduce the amount of this element in the air. However, it isn’t enough to plant them and forget them.
Use these eco-friendly tree care tips to maintain and beautify your landscape. Working with nature creates a cleaner, more beautiful world for all.