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While walking your dog, be careful where you let them pee. Dog urine is a detriment to our lovely urban trees. Dog urine severely harms the base of trees. When a dog pees on a tree, the chemicals from their urine soak into the bark. They then reach the cambium (the tree tissue layer, tasked with sending nutrients throughout the tree). This layer is then damaged, destroying the tree or impacting its growth.

In fact, it’s important to keep your dog away from the base of trees as well. When a dog pees on the soil around the tree, it can create a salty crust, which inhibits water absorption. During these hot summer days, it is as important as ever to make sure our trees are getting enough water. 

For more information on the topic, read: Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Dog Pee On Trees

As the weather warms up and the flowers begin to bloom, it’s important that we look out and care for our trees. Here are some quick tips to help your trees thrive this summer!

1. TREE ASSESSMENT: Without leaves, it’s easier to see if you tree has any damage. Make sure to check for broken or hanging branches, cracks or dead limbs in the tree. If you do notice any tree damage, make sure to contact a qualified tree arborist at https://www.cwarboristassociation.ca/
2. MULCHING: The best and easiest way to take care of your tree is to mulch. Mulch provides nutrients and moisture to the surrounding soil, helping your tree stay healthy and hydrated. When mulching, make sure to make a ring of mulch around the tree, keeping the mulch away from the base of the tree (like a volcano). The tree bark can rot away if the mulch is against the bark, leading to the tree’s eventual failure.
3. WATERING: Making sure your tree is hydrated is very important – especially as we move into the warmer and dryer summer months. If you have a young tree, watering is crucial, as their roots aren’t as deep in the ground, and will have a harder time finding wet soil. To combat this, once a week place your hose at the base of the tree and put it on a slow trickle of water for 10-20 minutes.
4. BLUE RIBBONS: Many in the community have tied a blue ribbon around a tree, in support of the #saveourwater campaign. This is fantastic! But please make sure that the ribbon is tied loosely around the tree. Tightly tied ribbons will trap moisture against the bark and cause damage.

With these tips, your trees will be thriving! Hope you all have a fun and safe summer!

Come volunteer with our tree inventory group!

You’ve seen cheery volunteers in their yellow T shirts for more than 10 years now.  It’s a great way to learn about trees, work with really nice folks and help add the knowledge about the trees in our community. A training workshop will be offered in the week of July 13th. You will learn to ID our most common trees, how to measure them, and how to assess their health. We ask you to commit 2 hours/week for 8 weeks at a time that suits you, over July and August.  If you have a conflict, subs can cover for you. To find out more, please get in touch at neighbourwoods@eloraenvironmentcentre.ca or by calling Toni Ellis at 519-362-9469.

Are you looking for a truly green stocking stuffer?  Consider a  Tree Trust Gift Card!  This is a perfect eco present for a loved one flying home for the holidays -or maybe flying away for a holiday!.  Each card offsets  a seven hour flight. 

To purchase please email us at Neighbourwoods@eloraevironmentcentre.ca and we can send one right to your door, along with a tax receipt!

Maybe this is the decade you join Neighbourwoods! Annual membership is just $20 and demonstrates your support for our urban forest.

Join at the next Tree Talk or email Rob Guthrie (rwfromcw@gmail.com)