Have you ever walked down a beautiful tree-lined road or neighborhood and wondered at the incredible natural beauty? Trees provide us with beautiful views, but also provide other useful services that we may not even realize. They harbor wildlife that enrich our daily experience — who doesn’t love seeing baby birds in the spring? — can help us save on our energy, heating, and cooling bills, and reduce noise pollution in residential and commercial areas alike. Having good landscaping can also increase the value of your home and makes an area seem friendlier and more welcoming. But how can you make sure you have healthy trees and keep them well maintained? You want to of course be sure that there are no tree roots near your plumbing systems and that in case of strong winds, a tree branch isn’t going to cause damage to your home. Tree pruning or tree service companies in general can help with those concerns.
How Does Having Trees Around Help?

• Noise Reduction


Trees and their leaves help absorb and block sound. They can cut down on noise pollution by at least 40%, if not more. If a tree belt is planted that’s 100 feet wide and 45 feet high, highway noise can be reduced by half! If you live near a highway or other busy road, that effect can be huge.

• Reduce Bills


By planting tree windbreaks, you could cut your heating costs by 10-15%. Some tree service companies may even suggest planting a tree on the west side of your house. Within five years, it’s suggested, your energy bills could be around 3% less. In 15 years, your savings should be almost 12%. How’s that for a natural and lovely investment? Additionally, the evaporation that comes off of only one tree can have the same cooling effect of having about ten room size air conditioners that are working 20 hours per day.

• Increase Property Value


Home with good landscaping have a 5-15% higher property value than homes without landscaping. Additionally, homes with trees are quicker to sell on the market than those without. Trees signal the owner put some thought and care into their home and yard and provide a more textured and mature appearance to the home.

How Can I Help Encourage Healthy Trees?
If you’ve just recently planted some new trees in your yard or want to maintain the existing ones, there are a few things to keep in mind. For the healthiest trees, trees need around once inch of rain every seven to ten days, though this can vary depending on the species. The majority of trees will also not do super well in areas that get under 50% open sunlight — it’s best to plant smaller, shade-loving plants in particularly shady areas of your yard. Having good soil is also important — the majority of fine water-absorbing tree roots are in the top six inches of soil, which means that’s where they’re getting their energy from. The Department of Agriculture also suggests pruning or trimming trees with the help of tree service companies at least once a year, during their dormant season. This is generally a job best left to tree service companies, to reduce risk of injury.
What If I Need to Have a Tree Removed?
If a tree branch is leaning precariously over your roof or in the way of some home or yard renovations, you may need to engage a tree removal service. Often, these companies will also take care of stump grinding to make your life easier. (Cutting down the tree is often the “easy” part; removing the stump can be tricky.) Again, tree removal is best left to the professionals with their high-powered tools — there’s too much of a risk for error or accident if you try to do it yourself.
There are multiple benefits to having trees in your yard and around your home — they provide a gorgeous and soothing view, can help reduce noise, increase oxygen, and can help reduce your bills. What’s not to love? Go plant a couple trees this year!