What do we look for in our tree care? It's simple: We look for suckers, which are plants that are growing near the stump or small branches that are starting to grow from major branches. These are named suckers for reasons because they "suck" all the nutrients from the trees. Think of it like flies trying to eat your food. We know. Yummy! But why do we cut the small branches? The small branches cause the tree to think that they are the sick. This sends more nutrients to them, while the major branches receive less nutrients, disrupting the tree's organic distribution system, overall resulting in stress on the tree. To prevent the tree from being deprived of these essential supplements, we cut them down. Another thing that we look for are ants. An excessive amount of ants traveling on the trunk or on branches indicate that there is something sweet attracting the insects. For example, when there is an infection or a bug disrupting the tree's system, the tree will send extra nutrients to the area that is being affected, which in turn creates sugars and possibly sap. This attracts ants to climb to that area, which not only makes the area affected worse, but also make the production of sugars continue for longer. While it may be impossible to completely remove the ants from the tree, you can prevent the ants from increasing. But how do you know if your tree is healthy even after checking all the symptoms of a "sick" tree? Die-back. Die-back is the noticeable difference in thickness of growth around the tree. For example, one can look at the top of the tree canopy and perhaps observe that as the branches get longer (extend towards the sky), the leaves diminish. If you notice an excessive amount of either decayed leaves on these branches or just thinning of growth in general, then yes, the tree is still stressed. However, there are ways you can lessen the stress: 1. Making a berm A berm is like a well around the tree log; a semi-circle with the tree in the middle. Refer to the pictures below. Berms are usually created to prevent water from seeping out of the focal point of the tree (roots). While a berm is not always necessary, it inhibits the growth of surrounding plants which can become competition to the tree. 2. Applying mulch Mulch is a combination of various organic matter such as dead leaves, wood chips, bark, and compost. It is usually applied around the tree or inside the berm before watering. Essentially, mulch traps in the moisture from either watering or previous moisture from already dampened soil. Such as a tree canopy naturally distributes leaves around the forest floor, mulch acts as a natural "concrete" for trees in urban settings. Mulch acts as a coolant for the base of the tree. You can get free mulch from any local tree care company or gardening manufacturer. If you reach out to TreePeople you may even receive some buckets of mulch if needed! 3. Watering It goes without saying that every living being requires water. So don't neglect your trees! While sprinklers are amazing contraptions, they can only distribute so much. A tree requires 15 gallons of water! It is recommended that you use a hose and water your trees gradually, letting the water fully percolate (soak) into the soil before watering again. As you do not know how much is 15 gallons when watering with a hose, use the berm as an indicator! For those working in unison with TreePeople, request for 5 gallon buckets if possible and of course just pour 3 for each tree. Not every tree needs to be watered. Check the soil's moisture before applying water. You can tell by sticking your finger into the soil around the tree roots- if it feels dry then water! Now that you know what makes a healthy tree go out and make a difference!
Best of luck from the Arcadia Team (:
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As the title suggests, gardening tools will obviously be needed, mostly small handheld tools. The most significant tool to have would be the hand hoe, as it will be pretty much used for 80% of the job. It will also help to have a hand held shovel, as that could sometimes be used in place of the hoe. It is definitely best to use a water hose, but in the situation that there isn't one, there are still different methods to water the trees. In our experience, since we didn't have a water hose, we had to: 1) Find an empty trashcan and fill it up with water 2) Carry it with a wagon (NOTE: it is important to fill up the trash can with it already on the wagon) 3) Use watering cans to take water from the trashcan and individually water the trees. In comparison to the tediousness of obtaining water, a hose is definitely easier. Depending on the condition of the environment surrounding the trees, some form of gardening scissors may be necessary to clear away some bushes (handheld gardening scissors are fine). And lastly, it's important to wear gloves, long sleeves, and long pants in case of the risk of being bit by spiders or other insects. Masks and hats are a useful addition to this. The hat will not only shield you from the sun, but also will ensure that anything that drops from above you will not interfere with your eyes and/or scalp. The mask has the same function for the hat, but for the nose and mouth. When we laid out the mulch, the masks were extremely useful in shielding our nose and mouth from the dust that was whisked up. Examples of essential materials
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AuthorWhat to Look For- Chanyeong Kim |