April celebrates Arbor Day which promotes the importance of trees and their preservation. Arbor Day falls on the 29th of April this year. During this day, trees are given extra credits for giving the world a cleaner, safer environment. It encourages individuals and organizations to plant and care for trees and promotes a better place to live for succeeding generations.
Trees are essential to the human race. They give off oxygen for fresh air to breathe and reduce pollution. They help beautify our yards. They protect landscapes from floods. They provide food for us and other species. Trees provide habitats for birds and other animals, and they provide the wood needed to build homes for us. With so much that trees give us, Arbor Day is a great opportunity for trees to get their due respect.
Though trees are important to the environment, did you know that there are potentially negative characteristics of them that homeowners should be considerate of? Trees are nothing short of amazing, but if you own a home there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to trees.
Trees crave for water – a necessity to grow. Leaking pipelines can be a source of water for tree roots. Once a tree root identifies the smallest of damaged water pipes it can penetrate and fully destroy the pipeline, causing a great burden to the homeowner. The pipe can become fully clogged or can burst entirely.
Tips to avoid pipeline breakage
When you are building a home or planning landscaping, keep a distance between your trees and your home’s pipelines. Should the location of your home’s waterlines be unidentifiable, consider planting shallow-rooted plants. Maple, willow, oak, ash, elm, birch and poplars are just a few of the shade trees with shallow root system.
You can also ensure that your trees get regular water from your sprinkler system. When trees are watered by sprinklers it encourages the roots to remain closer to the surface of your grass.
With basic understanding of trees we can get the best of both worlds – enjoy trees for all of the amazing benefits that they offer while keeping our home safe and secure, too.