3 ways (and free tools) to show a tree some love right now

It doesn’t need a box of chocolates, a back rub or a hand-knit sweater (though that is pretty cute). But here are a few things you can do to show a tree some love this season:

1. Treat it to a drink… of water, that is. During dry spells—we’ve had a few this winter—trees need 10-15 gallons of water per week. Here’s a video of how to hack a five-gallon bucket for an easy drip irrigation system.

2. Give it a warm blanket… of mulch—2 to 3 inches of compost, dried leaves or wood chips will do. Like a blanket, mulch regulates soil temperature to help roots establish and grow. It holds water in the soil and slow-releases nutrition for your tree as it rains. We maintain a pile of FREE mulch at our office, just come by and get some! Learn how to mulch

3. Set it up on a date… with an arborist. Even if your tree doesn’t need maintenance right now, you can establish a trusted relationship you can turn to down the road when you have questions about your tree. We recommend this list of Friends of Trees’ partner arborists to get you started.

Happy tree lovin’! Here are some more tree care basics