EXTENSION REPORT

Remember Trees in your New Years Resolutions

            It’s that time of the year again, the holidays, a time of celebration and splurging  followed by a time of setting new goals and resolutions for the coming year.  We run the gambit of all the usual resolutions including losing weight, exercising, saving money, paying off debts, and getting better organized.  Most of these resolutions are “necessary evils” that are cumbersome, uncomfortable, and generally go unfulfilled.  However, here are two New Year’s resolutions that are can make a big difference for you and your community and may even be fun.

Resolution 1: Plant new trees in your yard or community

Over the past few years south Alabama has endured hurricanes, droughts, and pine beetle infestations.  Many trees in our urban landscapes have been damaged or killed.  If you take the time to look around your community’s urban forest, note the large number of older and mature trees in contrast to smaller younger trees.  Our urban forest is maturing.  And as this mature forest continues to decline, we’re just not replacing fast enough with new trees.

            This is of no fault of our own but rather a natural process.   Many of these large trees were originally planted when communities or neighborhoods were founded and their time has come.  If we are not careful we may find our homes, streets and parks baren of trees.  Our best defense against these problems is to prepare for them by planting new trees to replace the older ones.  By planting trees today we will ensure that future generations have trees of a good size in place to help ease this transition.

            So why not start by planting a tree or trees in 2008?  A good place to start is in your yard, especially in openings or near larger trees that will need replacement.  Wherever you plant, it’s important to match your tree species to the site and to consider light exposure, soil conditions, future tree size, and proximity to structures and utilities.  In south Alabama, you’ll also want to plant hurricane resilient trees (for a list visit www.aces.edu/ucf  or contact your local Extensions office).  Tree planting is a fun activity and something the whole family can participate in from selecting a tree at a local nursery to planting the tree in your yard, and who knows you may even get some exercise.

Resolution 2: Maintain and care for your yard trees

Planting a new tree shouldn’t be the only resolution you’ll make for next year.  Each planted tree will need care and maintenance to grow into a healthy specimen that can one day contribute to your yard and community.  So for your new year’s resolution here are some steps in maintaining newly planted trees which will improve survivability, strong tree structure, and tree health.

Step 1: Year 1, Watering:

Newly planted trees require 2-3 gallons of water for every inch in diameter (measured 6” above soil surface) twice a week during the first one to three years depending on tree size.  Watering helps young trees develop a root system that can sustain the tree and help it become established.  The rule of thumb for tree establishment is six months for every inch in diameter.  Note, the smaller the tree the faster it becomes established and thus the less watering it will require.  Research has indicated that smaller trees are easier to establish and will often outgrow larger trees in a few short years (ideal landscape tree is 1”-2” in diameter). 

Step 2: Year 2, Pruning:

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around does it make a sound?” In the rural forest this question may be valid, but in the urban forest you can bet on it.  Unlike trees in a natural forest setting trees in the urban forest require regular pruning to ensure good structure.  Good structure helps reduce the risk of tree failure by having solid branch attachments, no co-dominant stems or forks, and good branch distribution.  Additionally, pruning trees when they are young will cause limited introduction of decay in cuts unlike pruning large or mature trees.

Broken limbs and split tops often equal property damage in the urban forest and the sounds or damage will not go unnoticed.  To ensure a tree has good structure inspect the tree once per year and begin pruning after year two to remove:

-Co-dominant stems or forks (forked trees often have included bark and are more likely to fail)

-Problematic branches or branches that turn back into the tree or rub again other branches

-Excess branches (you want branches evenly distributed up and around your tree.  Too many branches in a single area will cause branches to be poorly connected to the main stem).

So why not resolve to plant and care for a few trees in your community? Planting and caring for trees is an easy way to not only give something back to your community but an activity the whole family can enjoy.  So remember trees when you sharpen your pencil and start making your list and consider the old Chinese proverb “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade”.   Today we enjoy the work of our forefathers and remember “Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a pine, one need only own a shovel.”-- Aldo Leopold

Email address: brodbam@auburn.edu
Phone: 937-7176 or 943-5611, ext. 2222

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability