57 Ways - 6. Keep Your Trees Healthy and Safe

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57 Ways To Protect Your Home Environment (and Yourself)

Caring for the Home Landscape

1. Aim for a healthy lawn rather than a perfect lawn
2. Cut the grass without gas
3. Prevent insect, disease, and weed problems in the garden
4. Identify fruits and vegetables that need fewer pesticides
5. Select native trees and shrubs that will thrive in your yard
6. Keep your tress healthy and safe
7. Plant “wild” in your backyard
8. Attract birds and butterflies to your backyard

Using Alternatives to Traditional Pesticides & Fertilizers - Where Practical

9. Scout for pests on the landscape
10. Consider microbial insecticides
11. Consider botanical insecticides & insecticidal soaps
12. Conserve beneficial insects
13. Monitor & control insects with traps
14. Use pest barriers in your garden
15. Solarize soil
16. Consider the potential of natural fertilizers

Using Chemicals on the Landscape - If Necessary

17. Know what to ask a lawn-care company and arborist
18. Understand pesticide toxicity
19. Read the pesticide label
20. Apply pesticides accurately and safely
21. Apply fertilizers accurately and safely

Storing & Disposing of Hazardous Chemicals

22. Store hazardous chemicals safely
23. Dispose of pesticides safely
24. Dispose of auto products safely
25. Dispose of paints and solvents safely
26. Dispose of adhesives, areosols, household cleaners & other hazardous waste safely

Managing Yard, Food & Other Household Waste

27. Reduce household waste
28. Recycle paper, glass, & aluminum
29. Reuse and respond
30. Recycle grass clippings
31. Create a compost pile
32. Use yard waste as mulch
33. Dispose of tree residues

Protecting Your Drinking Water

34. Know when & how to test your water
35. Test your water for coliform bacteria & nitrate 36. Test your water for pesticides - if necessary
37. Know the signs of contaminants in drinking water
38. Select effective water-treatment methods
39. Prevent contamination from septic systems
40. Know the pros & cons of bottled water

Protecting the Indoor Environment

41. Prevent contamination by lead
42. Test your home for radon
43. Reduce radon levels
44. Control dust, dust mites & other allergens
45. Reduce pollution from combustion equipment
46. Prevent contamination by formaldehyde and asbestos
47. Recognize tht it's not always necessary to control indoor insects
48. Select the right household pesticide
49. Control household pests with less toxic alternatives
50. Select household cleaners wisely

Conserving Energy & Water

51. Design new homes for energy effciency
52. Save energy in heating & cooling
53. Insulate & seal your home
54. Choose energy-efficient appliances
55. Save money & energy with compact fluorescent light bulbs
56. Use plants & other landscape tools to conserve energy
57. Conserve water in & around the home

6. Keep Your Trees Healthy and Safe
	Many trees have life spans that any human would envy. But in residential areas, these impressive life spans are often cut short by the rigors of the urban environment. With attention to a few key management practices, this doesn’t have to be so. Proper watering is critical when transplanting a new tree. Water regularly, but be careful not to overwater. After a tree is established, normal rainfall usually will provide an adequate amount of water. But you still need to water during droughts or extended dry periods during the summer.
	Once a tree is established, apply up to 6 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet over the tree’s rooting area to maximize tree growth. Every 3 years, apply 3.6 pounds of phosphorus and 6 pounds of potash per 1,000 square feet. Apply fertilizer to an area that extends several feet beyond the canopy drip line.
	Be on the lookout for warning signs that may indicate your tree is under stress. For example, are the leaves off-color, undersized, withering, or showing dark blotches? Are many of them missing?
	Are the branches dying at the ends? How much have the tips of the branches grown in the past year? You can tell by looking at the ‘bud scale scars.’ In general, twig growth on most trees should be at least 9 inches.
	Are there cracks or holes in the tree trunk or cankers (localized dead areas) on the bark? Do you see insect activity or signs of insect presence: curled leaves, chewed leaves, missing leaves, holes in branches, buds that don’t sprout, webs, sawdust, holes in the trunks, or galls, which are tumors that form on the plant tissue?
	Has a storm broken limbs or done any other damage? And is the soil compacted, or packed down? Compaction, one of the major killers of trees in urban areas, reduces the availability of air in the soil, suffocating tree roots.
	Some of these warning signs can have a number of causes, so you may need to call in a professional arborist to determine the problem. For instance, yellowed, undersized, or withered leaves can be caused by diseases, insects, inadequate moisture, or lack of nutrients.