Trees, Glorious Trees

I was walking over to my sister's house the other day, and found myself astounded at the size of the trees along the sidewalk. Wasn't it just yesterday I was wondering if these spindly little things would ever provide shade? Here they were, providing a delightful canopy as I walked along; and along with the shade, the various shades of green from the trees and the turf were soothingly pleasant. It's happening, I thought; the dream is coming true, and I no longer have to envision the future towering trees because they are beginning to tower now (and not just in my backyard, Sherwood Forest, but that's another subject).

Of course, I have the benefit of living on the west side of Higley Groves, and this landscaping was some of the first to go in, and is therefore larger than in other parts. Linda Street - not my street - was actually the first street, and I love to drive down it on my way to the office because it's mature trees are pleasant and shady as well. There are areas in Higley Groves, however, that still have very young trees. And here is where we have an example of a well-meaning resident actually harming the trees that they are hoping to help.

Bias For Action posted about tree pruning back in May, which is the proper time to prune trees in Arizona. Here are the key paragraphs:

I have gotten some questions about why we don't trim our trees up from the bottom. When they ask this they are usually looking at some of our newer additions. The younger trees come with tiny branches and a small amount of leaves from the ground up toward some of the more major branches. We leave them on for several reasons. First, plants need photosynthesis to grow and leaving those leaves on helps the general health of the tree. Second, the trunk is healthier and grows to a greater diameter sooner if the leaves are left on. A broad base right at ground level is important for the stability of the tree longer term.

So when a resident trimmed the pecans on Cotton Lane, rather than enhancing the trees' growth over the coming years, it actually hampers the growth and health of the trees. Here is a picture of what I'm talking about:



Believe me when I say that we consider the trees in Morrison Ranch to be one of our most precious assets. And if you don't believe me, just sit in on a meeting where some hapless engineer has replaced a tree on a plan with a lamp post or worse yet, nothing, and listen to the firm but polite reprimands by the Mister, Bias For Action and The Sixth Man! So we work hard to ensure the health of the trees for the long haul, including learning how to properly prune them, when to fertilize them and give them nutrients that they especially need, like zinc.

One word of caution, though. There is one reason why our landscapers will trim the bottom of the tree before it's time: City Ordinances demand that the sight lines be kept open at intersections; therefore, the trees at all intersections must be trimmed up, even from their youth. So if you see our maintenance crew trimming trees from the bottom up near an intersection, please don't go tackle them with the information above in hand; they are just obeying the law. Otherwise, let them trim the trees in due season, and we'll just enjoy the shade as it comes along.