De-Choking Trees
Ever seen cementing near trees ? Well, turns out, this is extremely harmful to the tree.
We see a new house getting constructed or renovated almost every week. It seems like a never-ending process. The material that is used for the majority of the construction process is cement. People with low or no awareness, cement all the soil around the trees outside their home. The trees provide workers with shade and a place to rest if they get tired.
Cementing a tree is extremely harmful to its growth. If the cement or concrete is touching the tree directly, covering the soil space around it, it has a hard time growing any further. The tree should be given at least 1 meter of soil space around it. This is to make sure that the growth of the tree is not stopped. When the cement covers the soil near the tree, it disables the water from seeping into the soil and reaching the roots. The cement acts as a barrier between the water and the soil. If the water does not reach the roots successfully, the process of both photosynthesis and respiration are impacted. The roots are the prime source of water for a plant and are an essential substance needed for its growth. A tree with cement around it can be noticed to have stopped growing. The cement is the cause of it.
Roots provide the strength to the tree to stay upright. They anchor themselves in the soil and give the upright posture to the tree. If water does not reach these roots, the roots become weak. The weakening of roots leads to them losing grip in the soil. The loosening of this grip increases the chances of the trees getting uprooted and falling during storms.
We at New Delhi Nature Society have done projects wherein we have removed cement around trees and increased their lifespan through this activity. This is so that they can continue to grow and the water that is given to them can reach the roots. If you see a tree in a similar situation near you, please remove the cement, nails, and wires around it. Give it at 1 meter of soil space to take in the water. We urge you to join us in our future projects and help us save the trees. If we don’t save our trees, then who will?