Our suburban forest has been in a struggle to survive drought conditions in SoCal, and although we had a good rainy season last year, we need to continue efforts to protect and preserve our landscape trees.
Trees add value to your property and provide many additional benefits to homeowners – and help you to save money.
Landscape trees in the right places conserve energy and reduce utility costs. Deciduous trees on the south and west sides keep your house cool in the summer and let sun warm it in winter. Trees hide property flaws such as concrete walls, parking lots or unsightly views, and create an eye-soothing canopy of green.
They muffle sound from nearby streets and freeways, absorb dust and wind, and enhance the livability of your property. Who doesn’t enjoy the shade of a big leafy tree in the heat of a SoCal summer afternoon?
Trees have health benefits too.
They absorb odors and pollutant gases including nitrogen oxide, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone, and filter particles out of the air by trapping them on the leaves and bark.
Trees can cool a neighborhood by up to 10 degrees by shading homes and streets, breaking up commercial heat islands, and releasing water vapor into the air.
Research shows that visual exposure to settings with trees is a fast acting stress reliever. Trees provide homes for birds and other wildlife, bringing you closer to nature.
The look of our leafy neighborhoods will change very quickly if trees are left to die without proper water and maintenance. Unlike lawns and shrubs, trees are not easily replaced once gone, and take years to grow and mature into the beautiful suburban canopy we now enjoy.
What can you do? Trees should be given top priory in your landscape water budget. Young trees may need weekly watering, while mature trees only need a good soaking once or twice a month.
Lawn irrigation is not adequate for trees - they need deep watering. Ageneral rule of thumb is to give 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter for each watering. Buy a cheap soaker hose at the hardware store, coil it several times from the trunk to the edge of the drip line and let run for 3-6 hours at a very low level that penetrates the soil without runoff.
Apply a four inch layer of mulch around the base but away from the trunk to preserve moisture through the hot summer months.
Adriana Donofrio • deasypennerpodley Glendora (626) 926-9700 • adonofrio@dppre.com
