Modern Life Needs Trees After All

We are living in a concrete jungle that is ever growing as the days pass by. Some kids don’t even understand what nature really is all about when they haven’t seen much in their surroundings for a while now with rapid urbanization taking the world by storm. Cities are expanding and there is a big demand for space where more homes or buildings can be built. However, one must admit that we can’t live on concrete alone? Yes, they are sturdy, make for fine homes, and protect us from the elements and all but there are things that trees can provide that your home can’t always offer.

You’ll feel a tree’s importance in the heat of summer. When the sun is out to make everyone’s lives a living hell, the shade provided by trees can cool you down and keep you sane despite the sweltering heat. There is usually no more space to grow trees in the city when developers and builders can build a concrete structure that would make them millions, right? However, a lot of cities today make an effort to adding more greenery in their communities such as trees because it helps them cope with the heat. It is as simple as that. We can build concrete fortresses and all but we can’t live without nature. Imagine walking along a street devoid of trees? It not only looks grim but most likely uncomfortable too because nothing else can shield you from the elements.

In a study with Georgia Tech, Texas Tree Foundation looked at summer temperatures throughout the city, finding that the hottest areas averaged 100 degrees. Planting trees and adding other greenery, they found, could help cool some areas as much as 15 degrees on hot days. Beyond providing shade, trees help cool the air as water evaporates from leaves. The study found that planting trees was three times more effective than other strategies for cooling the city of Dallas.

A second map, created by the Trust for Public Land, considered multiple other factors beyond heat in Dallas–from asthma rates to a need for green space–to prioritize Oak Cliff. The project team worked with people living in the neighborhood to understand the routes that students walked to school and other routes pedestrians are most likely to take in order to further prioritize where to plant trees.

“If we had unlimited resources, we would plant trees everywhere, but this study allowed us to pinpoint those neighborhoods where we could do the maximum amount of good with the resources that we have,” says Matt Grubisich, director of operations and urban forestry for the Texas Trees Foundation.

(Via: https://www.fastcompany.com/90204411/a-simple-solution-to-help-cities-fight-overheating-more-trees)

Aside from the shade provided by trees, their presence definitely makes the place cooler. Some cities conducted studies that revealed trees help in cooling down the environment from the water that evaporates from each of its leaves. They even discovered that having more trees planted in a community is even more effective in cooling rather than other methods. If you resort to the use of air conditioning systems, you won’t have a hard time beating the heat but your wallet will definitely suffer from the high electric bills until summer ends.

But it’s how the city’s plants and trees contribute to boosting public health that could prove of more lasting importance. The new work has found that healthcare costs are reduced by almost £12 per person due to the airs pollutants being absorbed by the surrounding vegetation, a total saving of £59.2m in 2015. What that means in practical terms is less money being spent on treating avoidable air quality related issues such as heart disease, asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses. In fact, a similar figure can also be shown for Edinburgh (£10.47 per person), while the less densely populated Dumfries and Galloway in the borders can point to an even higher figure, with £14.55 saved per head in avoided health costs.

(Via: https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/31/glasgows-trees-are-saving-the-citys-life-7780171/)

It is no wonder cities right now are doubling their efforts in making cities green once more without hampering progress. Tree-planting initiatives are conducted by both private individuals and organizations and even by the local officials because we all know that the planet is gradually heating up, we can’t beat it unless we invest in long-term solutions like filling as many place as we can with more trees. The trees save us from pollution too, so it is actually a win-win solution for everyone. We finally get to do something about a perennial that threatens our very own survival. If a tree needs to be removed, though, in order for a new one to be planted again, so ask experts like https://www.allcleartree.com/removal to do it for you. Not only is it quicker but it surely is safer too.

The following blog article Modern Life Needs Trees After All was originally published on The All Clear Tree Service Blog

source https://www.allcleartree.com/modern-life-needs-trees-after-all/

Trees Suffer In Silence During Summer

We all know that the world is round, right? Even young kids know that. And as such, the season changes depending on what part of the world you are in. All seasons have their pros and cons and you’d likely complain about it when you’re experiencing it and missing it once the season changes. Well, humans can be so fickle sometimes and it is a normal part of human nature. But have we tried looking past our own interests and start looking at the things around us. For instance, trees are living things too that are affected by the environment in as much as we are.

Summer, in particular, is a very hard time for them too. The heat can be too much and when not taken care of properly, it can take its toll to a tree that is out there in the open with nothing to shield it from the scorching heat of the sun. Most trees grow on their own, with no owners to care for them, water them, and ensure they can survive summer in one piece. The heat can cause its leaves to wilt and make it prone to infestation from tree parasites. They may need to get treatment from most diseases affecting trees but who will do it for them?

It is not uncommon to start seeing various leaf diseases on trees and plants this time of year. Many of these diseases can reoccur annually, and some depend on what kind of weather we are having in the spring and summer. Apple scab is a common ailment that affects apple and crabapple trees. It appears on leaves as dull, brown, irregular spots and can change to light green velvety spots. These leaves will normally start to fall off the tree in various degrees. The best way to manage this disease is to plant varieties that are resistant to apple scab. There are treatments available, but they are very timely and aren’t always successful. Fireblight is another apple disease which quickly turns leaves brown/black, and they do not drop to the ground. The bark in this area will look shriveled and also turn brownish/black. There is no effective treatment for this disease other than pruning out the infected branches.

(Via: https://www.farmforum.net/farm_forum/tree-talk-trees-and-leaves/article_2b0a2c87-c0e5-573c-ba0a-0d29cc2dfacf.html)

Some conditions do not necessarily need treatment because they go away on their own like the common cold and flu that humans get once in a while. Even trees in homes with owners to take care of them still suffer from the severe heat of the summer sun. Droughts can even worsen the situation especially that global warming is severely impacting natural weather systems and making them more intense than before. Trees don’t stand a chance given they are more exposed to the elements than us humans.

Tree maintenance procedures:

* Water appropriately.

o The best time to water is in the morning.

o Water slowly once or twice a week by running a sprinkler or drip hose beneath the tree. Avoid irrigating the trunk, as the increased moisture can favor root rot disease.

o Concentrate on the area directly beneath the foliage known as the “drip zone.”

o Making sure to follow your local irrigation ordinance.

o Place a large soup can near your sprinkler and water until two inches of water has collected in the can.

* Fertilize.

o Fertilizer enhances root development and promotes carbohydrate production, which supplies energy necessary for growth.

(Via: https://www.wtnh.com/on-air/good-morning-ct-at-nine/taking-care-of-your-trees-during-the-summer-months/1317601625)

You may think that trees grow forever until they are intentionally cut down but they actually aren’t invincible to the elements. They can die early because of the skyrocketing temperature but do they really need to perish when you can do something about it? Trees in the wild may struggle a lot and there is little (to nothing) you can do about it but there is something you can do about the trees in your yard and even in your neighborhood. You can spare a few minutes of your day watering them so they can cope with the sweltering heat all day long. They’re not too hard to do and are often common gardening techniques observed by many. If the situation can’t be salvaged anymore and the tree is gone beyond help, then better have it removed, stump and all, by professionals like http://www.allcleartree.com/stump-removal and plant a new one in its wake.

The following blog post Trees Suffer In Silence During Summer is courtesy of The All Clear Tree Service Blog

source https://www.allcleartree.com/trees-suffer-in-silence-during-summer/

Trees Make All The Difference

We live in such a capitalistic world where money makes the world go round. Well, it is true in a lot of ways. We need to spend money in order to make more money. There is also one major reality that often goes unnoticed by many, the amount of trash we make makes it increasingly difficult to live in the planet we call home. Pollution is a global problem and abuse and misuse of the world’s resources has significantly harmed the world thereby hastening global warming and climate change.

Concerned citizens have been exploring all means to preserve the world’s resources for the future generation but it seems our efforts are faltering and we aren’t making much progress. When it seems like a lost cause already, we just keep surprising ourselves with innovative ways of making the world a little better one day at a time. It can be finding new ways of using natural resources to address current problems and one of the major issues these days has to deal with an excessive use of plastic.

Despite more companies reducing the amount of plastic in packaging or creating more sustainable packages, a majority of consumer packaging is plastic. A team from Georgia Institute of Technology want to add to the growing list of sustainable alternatives with a new type of flexible plastic packaging. 

The new synthetic creation would use a material taken from crab shells and tree fibers that could form a plastic-like substance. Chitin -- a fibrous substance -- forms a major part of an arthropod's exoskeleton. Tree cellulose could also be a much more sustainable and easily recyclable alternative. In order to create the packaging, reserachers sprayed multiple layers of chitin and cellulose togehter to form a flexible film that rivals popular plastic packaging wraps.

(Via: https://interestingengineering.com/new-flexible-packaging-uses-crab-shells-and-trees-instead-of-plastic)

Sustainable living is the only way to preserve life on earth. It isn’t always easy but it does not mean it is not doable. It takes more effort than usual and a brave heart to go about changes that aren’t popular mainstream. Using brown paper bags or bringing your own bag when shopping is no longer enough. What we need are bolder actions that can bring about a much bigger and better change for all.

The discovery of this plastic-like substance is huge news because of its potential in replacing the use of plastic in a lot of things without sacrificing quality. It can even be seen as a possible replacement for plastics used in vending machines. Think about how many cities now have vending machines and that is how big its impact will be over time.

That means identifying certain species of tree like the honey locust and mulberry and trimming them into usable pieces. The zoo also uses other tree waste in other parts of the zoo. The rhinos, for instance, like to rub against big logs.

"We put word out that we could use some hollow logs and the next thing you know 12 hollow logs show up," Strode said.

Ameren tends to 6,800 miles of electrical lines in Illinois. Trees falling on power lines is the number one cause of outages, said Tucker Kennedy, Ameren's director of community and public relations.

(Via: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/state-and-regional/hungry-giraffes-snack-on-problem-tree-limbs/article_79059e60-fa2b-5e13-b518-bf9aff328c0f.html)

It will take a while for this plastic-like substance to be commercially available. We should still exhaust other efforts to slow down the degrading of our planet. Another good idea is the feeding of unusable trees to animals that otherwise would only pose a problem or a threat to people. Rather than seeing them rotting and not being used, these trees can feed hungry animals like giraffes, rhinos and other wild animals at zoos. These trees include the honey locust and mulberry trees and other trees that feel off on its own and end up blocking roads or damaging homes and properties.

You don’t always have to do things extraordinarily to make a big difference in this world. What matters is your intentions are nice and you make an effort to do things differently than the common practice that is extremely damaging to the environment. If you do face a problem such as overgrown trees in your yard, let a professional like https://www.allcleartree.com/trimming do it and ask them how you can make something useful out of this tree trimmings so it does not entirely go to waste like how those trees were fed to zoo animals in the above article.

Trees Make All The Difference Find more on: ACTS

source https://www.allcleartree.com/trees-make-all-the-difference/

Why Transplanting Trees Makes Sense

When you think about it, trees have been on the planet far longer than us humans. They have witnessed how the world has evolved and they are still here until today although their numbers are fast depleting. Irresponsible and often illegal human activities lead to massive deforestation that is gradually changing the planet’s landscape. We can’t afford to lose any more trees as they provide us with oxygen which humans need the most in order to survive. Aside from that, trees are also a great resource for a variety of things we now use in our daily lives from furniture to the food we eat.

Increasing urbanization requires more space for buildings, residential lots, and for commercial infrastructures. Cities are getting bigger and it means clearing out more space in the suburbs and even in farther places to accommodate progress in itself. As a result, trees have to be cut to give the space that builders need. But rather than cutting them down and disposing of these cut-down trees like trash, why not have them transplanted instead. This will take more planning and preparation than usual but it means saving hundreds to thousands of trees that take years to grow but gone in an instant because we want more space for our growing population.

Over 5,000 trees are proposed to be cut in various areas of south Mumbai to pave way for the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro line III project.

The committee was today informed by one of the petitioners, Zoru Bathena, that till June this year, around 800 trees have been uprooted and transplanted in various areas in suburban Mumbai, of which 583 trees have not shown any signs of survival.

The committee sought to know from MMRCL what steps it was taking to ensure that the trees survive and what measures it would take while transplanting the uprooted trees.

(Via: https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/take-utmost-care-to-ensure-transplanted-trees-survive-hc-to-118070501038_1.html)

Not only in the US but also in other countries, deforestation is a big problem but the locals are stepping up to protect nature from suffering too much. Transplanting is one of the solutions they have identified. The trees may need to give way to modernization but they still find a new home somewhere. It is not yet the end for them and they continue to nurture human life in its own little ways. In this case, trees are cut to enhance the existing transportation system but citizens are adamant that trees be transplanted so it is a win-win case for both sides.

Green activists won praise from local residents for successfully transplanting uprooted trees in the port township despite the authorities turning a blind eye to the issue.

"Two banyan trees were uprooted near Madhuban three days ago following a nor'wester. We waited two days for government agencies to either remove the uprooted trees or transplant those. But they turned a blind eye. Later, we resolved to give the trees a new life by transplanting those," said a green activist Ayashkant Ray.

"We managed to save six uprooted trees by transplanting those in the past and that experience came in handy. We mobilised excavators and manpower, and have formed a group of youngsters to protect the town's green cover," he said.

(Via: https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/odisha/residents-save-trees-246131)

At times, it takes brave individuals to make such drastic actions like these even if the local government does nothing about it. The balance in the world must be maintained. We can’t just keep on pushing for progress when the environment suffers. Kudos to people who go the extra mile in saving as many trees as they can from death and ensuring they survive in their new home. It is a collaborative effort that can’t be done by one person alone. If ever you come across a similar problem in your community, the same thing can also be done so nothing is really compromised in our quest for a better and more modern life.

Not all the time, though, your tree needs to be cut. If certain branches cause a problem, have them trimmed by experts like https://www.allcleartree.com/trimming rather than have the entire tree cut down. Your home will need the extra shade, after all, with the summer season in full swing and the heat sure to make living these days doubly challenging.

Why Transplanting Trees Makes Sense was initially published on www.allcleartree.com

source https://www.allcleartree.com/423f907058a0277fb0318ca45753640366c3d8096e43c2275d4149671d48e938category423f907058a0277fb0318ca45753640366c3d8096e43c2275d4149671d48e938/423f907058a0277fb0318ca45753640366c3d8096e43c2275d4149671d48e938postname423f907058a0277fb0318ca45753640366c3d8096e43c2275d4149671d48e938

Help Your Trees Survive Summer

Trees can take care of its own business. They flourished and filled the planet for centuries and they had no problem with that. At times, it was difficult because of natural disasters and seasonal changes. Some trees die and the stronger one survives. It is the cycle of life. If you care about the environment, then you should do something about it. If you don’t think anything about it yet, then now is the best time to do so seeing how big of a problem global warming and climate change has become. They are now sad realities of our times that endangers the survival of our species in the coming years.

How can we prevent such a grim scenario to happen? Simple. Plant trees. If you can’t, at least make it possible for existing trees to survive the harsh elements especially the skyrocketing temperatures this summer. You yourself can feel the heat but you have modern facilities and equipment to make your life bearable. Think of air conditioning, fans, and all the cool food you can eat at a time. But plants and trees don’t have that comfort since they are exposed to the heat of the sun. They may wilt and die if you fail to take care of it diligently all summer long.

Summer temps can be hard on trees, especially landscape trees in our urban areas. Signs of tree stress caused by lack of water — including dead leaves and leaf wilt — are already observable in many Oregon communities.

When trees aren't well-watered, prolonged drought eventually makes them more susceptible to problems caused by insect and disease — and consequently, a shorter life span.

Here are a few tips for keeping your trees healthy despite the heat.

Symptoms of drought

One of the first signs that a deciduous tree (a tree that loses its leaves in the winter) needs water is that its leaves begin to look dull and limp. More advanced symptoms of needing water are browning of leaves, wilting, and curling at the edges.

(Via: https://portlandtribune.com/sl/401529-297794-its-summer-time-to-deeply-water-your-trees)

Water is crucial to a tree’s survival. Having too much sunlight will not do them good this time with the temperature shooting up the roof. The only way they can outlive the hot summer months is if you regularly water them. Don’t wait for the leaves to turn yellow and brown or even for them to fall to the ground. Not only that but insects can also make their survival even more difficult and worsen the stress they have to endure all summer long.

Improve growing conditions. During drought, supplemental watering can reduce the impact of stress.

Mulching with a 2-inch deep layer of shredded hardwood from the trunk out to the dripline -- outer most branch tips -- can be a great help. Yes, that could be a big brown circle in your yard, but that is what tree experts -- certified arborists -- recommend. Mulch also prevents lawn mower and string trimmer damage to the trunk, lowers soil temperature and adds nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Some experts advocate applying a thin layer of compost in the same manner, in hopes of increasing beneficial soil microbes that live symbiotically with tree roots.

(Via: https://www.theeagle.com/news/gardening/charla_anthony/cool-plants-for-hot-times-tree-problems/article_98c4e189-7537-5d18-ba4a-e0a73da8ac01.html)

Even the way you water the trees also matter. Shallow watering likewise results in shallow rooting. Trees with shallow roots won’t be able to grow well as it can lead to future problems. Moreover, shallow watering means the tree isn’t receiving enough water. The soil has to be saturated to ensure that the water can reach deeper into the roots and really feed and nourish the plant well. Watering also depends on the type of trees grown, so you have to do your research prior to planting so you know how to care for your tree while it grows. The planet needs more trees if only to halt the rapid progress of global warming that is a threat to us all. But in case your tree is suffering from the heat, you can have it trimmed by professionals like http://www.allcleartree.com/trimming rather than risk the health of the entire tree. Better have the branches cut short then because trimming is still considered part of taking care of your tree after all.

Help Your Trees Survive Summer Read more on: The All Clear Tree Service Blog

source https://www.allcleartree.com/trimming/help-your-trees-survive-summer