Soil. Water. Life

Soil is life

Soil moisture: why is it important for you and and your garden? Why it is important for LA and its issues with the urban heat island effect and other challenges?

Soil, Water, Life

24891599369_a001ea633e_k

Here at TreePeople, we sometimes wonder where the tree ends and the soil begins.  Fallen leaves and branches decompose and  create soil, which creates trees, which drop branches and leaves creating more soil.

We also love to think about the tree-water-soil connection. Where does water end and soil or tree begin?… Read more >>

Op-Ed: How Drought-Tolerant Landscapes Can Cool LA

26684049500_658472560d_k

Los Angeles is a very unique place with complex challenges when it comes to both water and climate. Moving toward a more climate-resilient LA is a complicated task with a multitude of paths towards a solution. Looking further into how water is used, either through landscape transformations or how water use will affect local temperatures in the future are a step in the right direction for LA. Thankfully, a study by Professor George Ban-Weiss from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering about how changing from traditional lawns to drought tolerant landscape could have an effect on temperatures in LA has been released to assess if changing to drought tolerant landscaping will change temperatures in LA.… Read more >>

3 Water Saving Tips You’ve Never Heard Of

26889139011_0e3a83cb58_k

“Flat is so passe…until 1825 it was seldom, if in any year, that the river discharged even during the rainy season its waters into the sea. Instead of having a river way to the sea, the waters spread over the country, filling the depressions in the surface and forming lakes, ponds and marshes. The river water, if any, that reached the ocean drained off from the land at so many places, and in such small volumes, that no channel existed until the flood of 1825, which, by cutting a river way to tide water, drained the marsh land and caused the forests to disappear.”

-Colonel J.… Read more >>

5 Ways to Be Cool and Stay Cool this Summer

27905597001_8542332f47_k

Many people falsely assume that LA is a desert. It’s not. Actually, we are one of the few places on Earth that enjoy a Mediterranean climate. That’s one of the reasons we all love living here. Mediterranean climates enjoy mild winters and warm summers. But you may have noticed that summer feels extra hot lately!

Well, with the ever increasing threat of climate change, extreme heat is in our future. Plus, we’re in our fifth year of drought. Even with increased rainfall over the winter, we’re still facing unprecedented times.… Read more >>

DON’T Make This Tree Pruning Mistake: To Prune or not to Prune

prune tree blog pic

This is the second blog in a three part series. Visit part one here and visit us soon to see the third installment.

Have you seen trees like this in your neighborhood?

25808991434_36c289c40d_k

Tree topping is a pruning practice that could cause long-term damage to your trees. With that in mind, it’s important to know when and how to prune your trees. While it’s important to check your trees yearly, they don’t necessarily need to be pruned each time!

How often should I trim the tree and when?

… Read more >>

Roll Out Your Rain Barrel to Protect the Ocean!

24629628124_58baf17088_k

Summertime is in full effect, which means we’ll all be flocking to the beach here in LA!

While you’re soaking up the sun, you might notice that our oceans are looking extra clear. Studies have shown that our beaches are cleaner during this time of year because of an unintended consequence of the drought– reduced stormwater runoff– keeping pollution, toxins and trash out of our waterways.

Of course, there are other ways to reduce runoff that benefit our city and help fight drought.… Read more >>

DON’T Make This Tree Pruning Mistake

Healthy Tree (1)

This blog is the first in a three part series. Check back soon for updates!

The ever-famous Whomping Willow from Harry Potter

The ever-famous Whomping Willow from Harry Potter

Have you ever driven down the street and seen a tree that looks more like the  “Whomping Willow” than “The Giving Tree”?

Sorry to inform you, it’s not a sad attempt to recreate a beloved fictional tree. What you see is actually a pruning practice often referred to as “tree topping” — and it is very harmful to trees.… Read more >>