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Show IIVolume II, Issue X THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 7 15 May 2000 Trees Add Beauty and So Much More Trees in your backyard can be home to many different types of wildlife. Trees also can reduce your heating and cooling costs, help clean the air, add beauty and color, provide shelter from the wind and the sun, and add value to your home. Choose trees that will provide enjoyment for you, and that will fit into your landscape. Take advantage of the abundant references on gardening in local libraries, at universities, arboretums, and parks where trees are identified, and from native plant and gardening clubs, and nurseries. Before you buy, you can find out if a tree is appropriate for your area, how big it will get, how long it will live, its leaf color in the fall, any nuts or fruit it may bear, and the proper planting instructions and care for that species. Make a conscious effort to select trees native to your area. They will live longer, be more tolerant of local weather and soil conditions, enhance natural bio-diversity in your neighborhood, and be more beneficial to wildlife than non-native trees. Avoid exotic trees that can invade other areas, crowd out native plants, and harm natural ecosystems. Plant a variety of tree species. For wildlife, choose trees and shrubs that bloom and bear fruit or nuts at different times of the year. A properly planted and maintained tree will grow much faster and live much longer than one that is incorrectly planted. Trees can be planted almost any time of the year as long as the soil is not frozen. However, early fall is the optimum time to plant trees. The roots grow some during the first fall and winter and when spring arrives the tree is ready to grow. Your second choice for planting is late winter or early spring. Hot summer weather is hard on newly planted trees and planting in frozen soil during the winter is difficult and tough on tree roots. Be sure to carefully follow the planting instructions that come with your tree. If specific instructions are not available, follow these tips: Dig a hole twice as wide as, and slightly shallower than, the root ball. Roughen the sides and bottom of the hole with a pick or shovel so that roots can penetrate the soil. With a potted tree, gently remove the tree from the container. Lay the tree on is side with the container end near the planting hole. Hit the bottom and sides of the container until the root ball is loosened. With trees wrapped in plastic or burlap, remove the string or wire that holds the wrapping to the root crown. Remove the wrapping if it is plastic; burlap may be left in place. Gently separate circling roots on the root ball. Shorten exceptionally long roots, and guide the shortened roots downward and outward. Root tips die quickly when exposed to light and air, so don’t waste time. Place the root ball in the hole. Leave the top of the root ball (where the roots end and the trunk begins) ½ to 1 inch above the surrounding soil, making sure not to cover it unless roots are exposed. As you add soil to fill in around the tree, lightly tamp the soil to collapse air pockets, or add water to help settle the soil. Form a temporary water basin around the base of the tree to encourage water penetration, and water thoroughly after planting. A tree with a dry root ball cannot absorb water, if the root ball is extremely dry, allow water to trickle into the soil by placing the hose at the trunk of the tree. Mulch around the tree. For the first year or two, especially after a week or so of especially hot or dry weather, watch your trees closely for signs of moisture stress. If you see leaf wilting or hard, caked soil, water the trees well and slowly enough so the water soaks in rather than runs off. This will encourage deep root growth. Keep the area under the trees mulched and free of other plants. Until the trees are deeply rooted, grasses and other plants may take up moisture before the trees can get their share. On farms and ranches, windbreaks and tree plantings slow the wind and provide shelter and food for wildlife. Trees can shelter livestock and crops; they are used as barriers to slow winds that blow across large cropped fields and through farmsteads. An established windbreak slows wind on its downwind side for a distance of ten times the height of the trees. Farmstead and field windbreaks and tree plantings are key components of a conservation system. They also improve air quality by capturing dust. Planting a mix of tree species helps prevent total losses to disease and severe weather; it also provided food, nesting area, and cover for a variety of wildlife. Note: This information was provided courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Association of Conservation Districts, and the Wildlife Habitat Council. SNOW-N-MOW Trent Rounkles 1413 28th St. Ogden, UT 84403 Home (801) 393-6072 Cell (801) 390-3068 * Senior Discounts Professional *Lawn Care *Pruning *Fertilizing *Weed Control *Snow Removal *Sprinkler Systems *Aeration *Satisfaction Guaranteed CALL TO INQUIRE ABOUT OUR FREE OFFER. Get Rid of those Unsolicited Credit Card Applications By Shanna Francis Ogden Valley New Staff Are you tired of receiving application after application for credit cards? Not only is this “junk” mail a nuisance and a waste of paper and resources, it can also be a security threat. When discarding any application for credit, be sure to shred the application. Criminals often use discarded credit applications to steal another’s identity in order to apply for credit in your name, running up credit card debt without the responsibility of paying for their shopping binges. One way to control this problem is to control the amount of unsolicited credit applications you receive in the mail. Equifax, Innovis and Trans Union are three major companies that compile consumer credit histories, providing credit reports for all major credit card companies, mortgage and loan institutions and other business wanting to obtain your credit profile. These companies also provide lists of names for those wanting to solicit credit to you the consumer—supplying names, addresses and credit information for a billion dollar, plus, credit card industry. Consumers can call the telephone number on the unsolicited credit card applications they receive and ask the company to remove their name off their list for further solicitations—over the phone or through the mail—but this piecemeal approach is very time con- suming and will produce very few results, since there are literally hundreds of companies that are supplied with your credit information. A more effective approach is to have your information removed from the lists of the major distributors who sell your credit background information. To do so, call 1-888-567-8688. This number connects you to the Automated Opt-Out Request Line. When calling, have you and your spouse’s social security numbers ready for the automated process. You will be asked to press “1” to have your name removed from the list for two years, “2” to reinstate your name onto the list, or “3” to have your name permanently removed from the list. The automated instructions are simple to follow, and the whole process only takes about one minute. By pressing “3,” your name will be permanently removed from the Equifax, Trans Union and Innovis supply lists. Credit reporting is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Amendments were made to the act in 1997 that benefit consumers by strengthening privacy provisions and defining more clearly the responsibilities and liabilities of businesses that provide information to—and access data from—credit reporting agencies. 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