Trees Are Key

Trees Are Key

By Paul JohnsonEducation
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Trees Are Key episodes

  • Keys to Building Near Trees
    Buildings are going up left and right — there is a local joke about cranes being the official bird of Austin because of all the construction cranes downtown. Construction is tough on trees, but there are a few actions we can take to protect and preserve our trees through the process.
    Species Spotlight: The Texas live oak (Quercus fusiformis) is a tough Texas native that grows well in our droughty, alkaline soils. Typically smaller than its southern cousin, Quercus virginiana, Texas live oak thrives under tougher growing conditions and accounts from many of our Famous Trees of Texas.
    12 min
  • Soil is Key
    Soil is the foundation of our trees and key to their success. Knowing more about your soil will help you determine what you need to do for your trees. Soil texture, bulk density and pH are key factors in determining what trees species will grow well for you. Join us this week to learn more about soils and trees.
    This week’s species spotlight is desert willow a beautiful small flowering tree that is also drought tolerant.
    13 min
  • Fall Color is Key
    As the weather cools, our thoughts turn to football and baseball, sweaters and falling leaves. But why do trees lose their leaves? Why do they turn such brilliant colors? Listen to this week’s episode of Trees Are Key to find out.
    Our Species Spotlight this week is Ulmus Americana — American elm. This poor tree has faced a dreadful enemy, the Dutch elm disease, but that is no reason to give up on it. Find out more about our stately American elm by listening to this week’s episode.
    11 min
  • Keys to Tree Risk Management
    Trees do a lot of great things, but falling down isn’t one of them. Want to know how to keep your family and home safe? Listen to this week’s episode, Keys to Tree Risk Management.
    We are getting close to planting season and this week we introduce our new Tree of The Week: Species Spotlight where we highlight trees you should consider planting in your yard, neighborhood or town. This week we start with Retama aka Jerusalem Thorne — find out more about this colorful, drought-hardy tree by listening to this week’s episode of Trees Are Key.
    11 min
  • Roots Are Key
    Roots are key to healthy trees, yet they are out of sight and we don’t know much about them. We know topping trees — indiscriminately cutting the ends off branches — is bad, but we don’t know that trenching to install a sprinkler system can be just as bad if not worse. Join us this week to learn the eight things you need to know about tree roots.
    Visit http://isatexas.com to learn more about the Texas Tree Conference, academy and school.
    Visit http://kdb.org or ctufc.org to learn more about the North Texas Citizen Forester program.
    Join #treechat on Twitter each Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Central Time.
    12 min
  • Big Trees Are Key
    We have a guest this week – Mickey Merritt is one of our regional urban foresters from Houston and he is a big tree hunter.
    Have you seen a big tree? How do you know if that big tree is really big? Want to learn more about measuring big trees? Listen to find out more about this regional, state and national program.
    Find our Big Tree Registry at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/TexasBigTreeRegistry/
    12 min
  • Trees Are Key to Great Vacations
    Summer is coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a nice trip or vacation. Recently, I was asked where good vacation locations in Texas were, that included trees. This episode is the answer to that question.
    Here are the sites that I refer to in this episode.
    • Our Tree Trails app - http://texasforestinfo.tamu.edu/treetrails/
    • Houston Area Urban Forestry Council Big Tree Registry—http://haufc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/HarrisCountyTreeRegistry2011.pdf
    • City of Ft Worth has a Heritage trees tour—http://fortworthtexas.gov/forestry/heritage-trees/
    • Portland’s Heritage Trees which can be downloaded for free or order a printed copy for $5—https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/441738
    • PDX Trees—http://pdxtrees.org/
    • Tampa Tree Map—http://tampatreemap.usf.edu/
    • North Texas Citizen Forester Program—http://kdb.org or http://ctufc.org for more information
    11 min
  • Keys to Trees and Lawns
    It might be best for our trees to outlaw lawns across the country, but that isn’t realistic. People love their lawns and their trees. Join us this week to learn how you can have both.
    Find out more about Lawn Care Around Trees in our Urban Forestry Information Pages at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/uploadedFiles/TFS_Main/Urban_and_Community_Forestry/About_Urban_and_Community_Forestry/Urban_Forest_Information_Sheets/How%20do%20I%20care%20for%20my%20Tree%20-%20Lawn%20Care%20around%20Trees.pdf
    12 min
  • Shade is Key
    It doesn’t take long to figure out trees are important on a hot, summer day in Texas. Just go to a local shopping center parking lot and you will see many cars parked in the shade. You can see the same thing in rural areas with the cows in fields. Shade is key to comfort, but it is also key to our bank accounts. Join us for this week’s episode to learn more about how Shade is Key.
    Mentioned energy saving, tree planting initiatives:
    City of San Antonio and CPS Energy – Green Shade Rebate: https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/my-home/ways-to-save/rebates-rebate/green-shade-tree-rebate.html
    Oncor Energy and Arbor Day Foundation: http://energysavingtrees.arborday.org/#Home
    City of Austin, Austin Energy and TreeFolks: http://www.treefolks.org/neighborwoods-free-trees-for-your-home/
    City of Denton and Keep Denton Beautiful—more info to come at http://kdb.org/
    10 min
  • The Key to Safe Tree Care--PPE
    PPE stands for personal protective equipment and it is the first step before working on your trees. Join us to find out what you need to protect yourself.
    Join us for #treechat on Twitter Tuesdays from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Search for #treechat in your favorite Twitter app.
    International Society of Arboriculture hosts their International Conference in Orlando, Florida next month. Find out more at http://www.isa-arbor.com/home.aspx
    10 min

About Trees Are Key

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#TreesAreKey with Paul Johnson helps listeners better understand and care for their trees. Weekly podcasts feature a short lesson and tree of the week, and share upcoming tree-related events around Texas. From planting to pruning, famous to flowering, to soil, sun and shade, and what to do when faced with disaster -- Trees Are Key has you covered.