• How to Plant a Tree
• How to Maintain a Tree
• Hurricanes and Trees

• Pick an area that will allow the tree to grow, including the proper distance from your home and power lines. For optimal electricity savings, plant the tree on either the east or west side of your house;
• Dig a hole 2-3 times wider than the container, the depth should be the same as the top of the soil;
• Carefully remove the tree from its container, making sure the roots and soil don’t separate. Position the plant so that the top of the root ball is even with the soil surface. Fill the hole with the original soil until it is half full. Slowly water to saturate the soil and then fill in the rest;
• Place preferably pine bark mulch around the tree, but leave several inches between the mulch and tree trunk.

Properly maintaining your trees, including proper pruning is just as important as proper planting. Here are a few quick tips:

• Heavy pruning will weaken your tree and increase the likelihood of it falling over in a hurricane. Proper pruning will strengthen the tree;
• Never prune more than 25% of the tree’s canopy. When a tree is properly pruned, it should look almost the same as before the pruning;
• Only specialists trained in proper pruning techniques should cut your tree. Hire an arborist with their certification from the International Society of Arboriculture;
• Never use a company that has hat-racked a tree. Many landscape businesses do not have the proper training in pruning and can severely damage your tree;
• Removal, relocation, pruning or trimming more than twenty five percent (25%) of a tree all require permits. For information on how to obtain a permit, visit the City of Miami website.

Properly planting and maintaining your trees will protect them from hurricanes. Strong healthy trees can actually help protect your property from strong winds by acting as a buffer. For more information on protecting your trees before and after a storm, visit Miami-Dade County Tree's website .