With tree care, a little effort goes a long way. Urban trees will grow a lot faster and live a lot longer if nearby residents look after them!

Here are the TOP TEN things you can do to help your street tree stay healthy and strong.

1. WATER, WATER, WATER! Young trees are very thirsty, and they require 20 gallons of water each week during the warm summer months (May 1 through October 1). Trees, like humans, can absorb water most effectively when it is delivered slowly. Here are some ways to help your tree get the water it needs each week:
   
   • Poke 5 holes close together into the side of a 5-gallon bucket, about two inches from the bottom. Cover the holes with a little duct or electrical tape. Fill the bucket up with as much water as you can carry, bring the bucket to the tree, remove the tape, and let it drain out next to the tree trunk. Do this 4 times.
   • Leave a garden hose on very low (just a trickle) next to the tree for 1 hour.
   • Zip a TreeGator® around the base of the tree. Then fill up the TreeGator® with water (it holds 20 gallons), and it will slowly release the water to the tree.
2. MULCH. Spreading a new layer of mulch each spring and fall will keep your tree roots happy: Mulch holds moisture over the summer and insulates the soil over the winter. This mulch will also hold back weeds and grass.
   
   When spreading mulch, remember that too much mulch (a layer more than 3 inches deep) will make it hard for the tree roots to get the air and water they need. Also, please make sure that no mulch touches the tree trunk, because it will cause the bark to rot. A 6-inch buffer is best!
3. WEED. Pull out any grass or weeds that pop up in the tree box, because they will steal the water and nutrients that your tree needs. Grass is greedy: It will absorb the first 1/2-inch of rain that falls, and most rainstorms do not produce more than a 1/2-inch of rain!
4. CLEAN. By keeping your tree box clean, you will decrease the likelihood of people vandalizing the tree or leaving more trash in the tree box. We know it sounds simple, but littering is contagious.
5. PROTECT. Any damage to the bark or trampling of the soil will cause your tree to suffer. Installing guards around your tree will help protect it from car doors, sidewalk traffic, dogs and pollution. You can make these guards out of brick or timber, or you can buy ones made of iron. Please make sure your guards are low enough on the curbside, so people will be able to open their car doors.
6. PRUNE. When it comes to pruning, remember that less is more. Never pull, twist, or break off branches, and never cut a branch thicker than your finger.
   Please call D.C. Greenworks at 202-518-6195 with any pruning questions. If you need tree service for large branches or dead trees, please call the Mayor’s call center at 202-727-1000.
7. MONITOR. Always be on the look out for damage to your tree, insect problems or disease. Since you walk by the tree everyday, you are the one best suited to monitor its health.
8. FERTILIZE. Street trees usually DO NOT need fertilizer. In fact, fertilizer from a garden store often does more harm than good. Street trees need to be ultra-tough to survive sidewalk traffic, cars, pollution and road salt. If the soil is too fertile, street trees will get spoiled, producing weak wood and attracting pests.
9. FLOWERS. Planting flowers is a great way to add beauty to your tree box. Not only will plantings deter pedestrians and dogs from walking through the tree pit, but wilted flowers will also tell you when the tree pit soil is dry.
   
   Please plant your flowers or groundcovers at least 18 inches away from your young tree, because they will compete for water and nutrients. PLEASE don’t plant ivy in your tree box, because vines climbing on the trunk will slowly kill the tree.
10. ENJOY. Greenery can be hard to come by in the inner city, so please take advantage of those 3 by 9-foot tree boxes and the beautiful potential they offer.

Thank you for caring for the trees!