Residental 

For residential landscapes, remember the following:

Don’t Mix Turf and Trees

• Turf (grass) hinders water, air and nutrient distribution to tree root systems.
• Turf brings lawn maintenance equipment that compacts soil and injures tree bark, causing decline and in significant cases, failure of the tree.
• Plan landscapes to separate turf from flower and tree beds and mulch all tree areas 2"-4” deep with mulch wells that circumnavigate the tree trunk to allow for proper aeration.
• Ideally, mulch beds should extend at least to the drip line of a tree.

Mind Tree Root Systems

• Tree root systems can extend to an area three times the diameter of the drip line. 
• Refer to that mental calculation when you’re placing trees near asphalt, sidewalks and building foundations.

Mind Tree Leaf Systems

• Look up.
• A tree’s height and width capacity in relation to any overhead utility lines.

Check Your Fertilizer

• Some fertilizers, so-called weed and feed brands, are indiscriminate agents and their weed-removal properties may just as well harm the root system of trees. 
• This is another reason to segregate your trees from flower beds and turf and to rely on the efficiency of mulch beds around trees. 
• Read fertilizer labels, check with your nursery or garden supply store before applying any fertilizer to the base or within the root zone of trees.

Researchers have determined that consumers hold more favorable perceptions of treescaped commercial districts and those consumers are willing to travel greater distances, pay for parking and spend approximately 12% in commercial destinations landscaped with well-maintained trees. Commercial property owners report less turn-over and higher occupancy rates in treed over non-treed buildings and complexes. Thoses trees can only enhance your commercial properties, if they are well-selected and maintained and follow some simple rules:

Signage

• Design your commercial outlets so that trees and signs will not compete with each, chances are the trees will be unnaturally cut or pruned to accommodate signage.
• Shade and canopy trees garner the highest marks with consumers, both for their beauty and utility.
• There is a cooling effect shade trees have on parking lots, sidewalks and outdoor corridors. 
• Use share and canopy trees with raised canopies and to place your signs at eye level for clearance and readability.

Parking Lots 

• A well-shaded parking lot reduces ambient (within 10’ above ground) temperature and ambient ozone production.
• Reduces gas evaporation in car fuel tanks.
• Increases sidewalk longevity by as much as 12%. 
• Heat from direct sunlight and glare volatizes compounds in asphalt and accelerates deterioration of asphalt surfaces. 
• Shaded asphalt, whether on roadways on in parking lots, holds its quality and stability two to two and one half times longer than exposed asphalt.