Harris County MUD 365 recognizes that trees provide countless benefits including cleaning the air, mitigating water run-off, providing shade to cool the surroundings, and beautifying our district. For more than 6 years, MUD 365 has partnered with Trees For Houston ( https://www.treesforhouston.org/) to increase the number of trees in our district.
Over the past six years, Trees for Houston has provided MUD 365 with an average of 125 trees per year at no cost. These trees are native to the area, and MUD 365 follows the recommended planting schedule for each tree -Typically this is in the early spring after the last freeze. If any of the past trees are dead or diseased, they are replaced before new areas are planted. MUD 365 spends an average of $30 per tree for transportation, soil prep, planting, watering, and staking.
When selecting a location to plant these trees, MUD 365 considers several factors, including where shade is needed and gaps where trees have been removed. One of the reasons we plant trees in early spring is to reduce the need for irrigation. In places that don’t have existing sprinklers, or where the sprinklers do not provide enough water, we utilize water bags and even hand watering. We understand that not every single tree will thrive, and expect to lose a few trees each year. Unfortunately, the severe drought we experienced in 2022 resulted in an unusually high number of new and existing trees dying or becoming diseased. We are hoping that will not occur again with this year’s trees.
Posted: February 9, 2023 at 9:20 a.m.
