Planting a tree greens your property and Cape Town
Category Lifestyle
Did you know that by planting a tree you don't just make your property more attractive and greener but also contribute to making Cape Town green?
It is now also easier with the City of Cape Town's new Best Practice Guideline for Trees.
Trees help complement the city's natural landscape and add to its green infrastructure. By planting trees, residents can help grow and expand the city's urban forest which will make it more resilient and adaptable to climate change according to the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment.
Trees add greening, provide windbreaks, privacy, and shade. They also capture carbon and produce oxygen, release moisture into the atmosphere, and create habitats and safe refuge for other organisms including attracting birdlife to the city.
To help property owners, developers and architects to protect, enhance and manage trees in the city, the Environmental Management and Recreation and Parks Departments as part of COCT's Green Infrastructure Programme developed the Best Practice Guideline for Trees which is available on the City's website or can be viewed and downloaded from https://bit.ly/CCT-
The guideline offers easy to understand graphics on how to prune, plant, transplant and build around a tree as well as tips for mulching and trenching. It also provides guidance on how to protect existing trees as well as which trees may not be removed without prior approval and how to control invasive alien species.
There is also guidance on which species are best suitable to Cape Town's conditions such as water-wise, indigenous, and resilient species. The guide further provides information about wind tolerance, sun direction, water table, irrigation and drainage, soil type, rate of growth and so on.
Greening around a home is a key attraction and adds value to your property. A well maintained garden will also make your property more attractive to prospective purchasers. With Spring approaching fast, it is a great time to get back into the garden and think about planning a tree.
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Author: Gina Meintjes
