Tree planting is an essential part of the permaculture practice. But why is it so important for any farm, and schools in particular, to plant trees instead of let’s say maize? Well, this question already includes a slight misconception about how tree planting is done in permaculture, since the idea is more often to plant trees in addition to other crops and less instead of them. But there are also many benefits that a tree provides you with, that a staple crop like maize can’t cater for. So let’s have a look at what exactly the benefits of trees can be!
Out of the many benefits a tree has, the most obvious is probably its direct use for either food, fodder, firewood or medicine. Of course it depends on the exact type of tree what exactly can be harvested best from it, but most trees come with at least one of these. In the case of a baobab tree for example, the leaves can be eaten as a vegetable and the fruits can be dried and crushed into a powder that serves as a food supplement with high fiber and vitamin C content. Finally, the seeds of some species can be used to make vegetable oil. This is just one example for the various products you can forage from a tree.
Secondly, trees create microclimates that benefit humans and animals. Both the shade they cast and the water that gets evaporated through their leaves cool down the area under and around the tree. Also they serve as a shelter: When it rains, they protect you from the rain, when it’s windy, they slow down the wind and when the sun shines, their leaves block the harmful UV rays. They can even protect your school from high levels of noise if planted strategically. All in all, a tree provides pleasant climate conditions that invite both animals and humans to linger under it as well as it can shield you from different inconvenient phenomena.
A different important aspect that makes trees interesting for schools is their ability to nourish, protect and strengthen the soil surrounding them. First of all, their falling leaves provide plenty of organic matter for the organisms living in the soil to feed on. These organisms are vital for the fertility of the soil. And because the soil from under a tree is a good environment for these microbes, it is popular as a component of potting soil used for nursing young plants. But a tree does not just improve the fertility of the soil, it also prevents it from eroding through water or wind. The roots strengthen the soil and keep it well together, so that it can’t easily be washed or blown away. Simultaneously, the roots of a tree also prevent compaction of the soil and create tiny spaces in it when they decompose. This enables water to soak more easily and deeper into the ground which helps to prevent droughts in the long term. In a nutshell, the effect a tree can have on your soil can not be overstated.
Finally, trees also play a significant role in fighting air pollution and climate change. Through photosynthesis CO2 gets absorbed which is the most important greenhouse gas and therefore the major driver of climate change. Through the same pores a tree also absorbs other gases that are harmful to our health and to the environment. But it does not stop there: trees also help to protect us from particulate matter which is basically a collection of microscopic dust particles. These can be quite dangerous and lead to respiratory illnesses. Fortunately, trees help to clean the air of this particulate matter too by “collecting” it on their leaves and if planted as a boundary, they can again block and redirect the wind carrying it with it. In summary, trees can both protect your school from different air pollutants and help fight climate change.
Now that you know all the benefits trees can provide, you may be interested to plant some but possibly do not know which and how. Well, don’t worry, we will cover that in the next article!