Arbor Day puts focus on trees

This is Arbor Week (actual day June 5) so secure a tree (or three) and find somewhere to plant them in readiness for the day of the year that’s earmarked for increasing the planet’s forest cover. Your contribution may seem minor, but a tree is a tree and they grow like weeds once they get their roots into the ground. If your own garden is already filled to capacity with trees and shrubs, look around for bare spots in the gardens of your friends. They’ll most likely thank you for providing them with something to plant and will want to pitch in with some digging on the day.

If your friends are not so inclined and prefer concrete to twig and leaf, find some new friends! I’m joking; don’t give up on them just because they don’t understand the importance of trees to the environment and every living creature therein. Perhaps there’s a vacant stretch of council land that would benefit from some trees. Ask around and see if there’s support for some community enhancement planting. Arbor Day’s the ideal one for promoting tree planting. conditions. Go native, if that’s your preference, and grow something sourced from your own region.

At this time of the year, there are plenty of wineberry trees (makomako) for sale in the nurseries, along with manuka and lemonwood (tarata), all of which grow well when planted on Arbor Day, falling as it does, right at the end of autumn. muscles. When it’s time to plant your tree, water it, backfill the hole and hammer in two sturdy stakes, one on either side. Tie the tree to the stakes with flexible ties that allow a little give.