This weekend is the ideal time to plant a tree – A brilliant addition to any garden, a support to our planet and local wildlife plus a great outdoor activity that is improving your physical and mental wellness in the bargain.

Here’s how https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw77dWJYHPM&t=59s

Trees produce oxygen: We learn in school that trees are the lungs of the world, how through the process of photosynthesis they produce oxygen. Well a single garden tree will over an average 50-year lifetime, generate almost €25,000 worth of oxygen and will replenish the atmosphere with enough good 02 to support two human beings for a year.

Trees act as Carbon sinks: Another Part of the process of photosynthesis is the intake of Co2 to make food. So trees remove excess Co2 from the atmosphere but we don’t need a forest in the backyard to make a contribution. A single garden tree over an average 50-year lifetime or the equivalent of a fast-growing forest tree in a community garden or park, can potentially absorb up to 48 pounds of Co2 over a single year; approximately ten tons per acre of urban wooded park – that is enough to offset the Co2 output produced by driving a car 33796 kilometres. The equatorial circumference of the earth is 40075km. So planting some trees does offset the footprint of the road trip of your life.

Trees clean atmospheric pollution: Tree foliage intercepts airborne particulates, from dust to soot and pollen, thus cleaning the physical content of air but further, trees absorb along with carbon dioxide during photosynthesis other atmospheric gases, many the by-products of exhaust fumes and industrial processes. Amongst the atmospheric pollutants that trees absorb are carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

It is estimated that a single garden tree, over an average 50-year lifetime, can deliver in excess of €48k worth of air pollution control. Different trees perform differently – If you live on a busy road just think that a single Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) will remove in a single growing season 5200mg lead, 60mg cadmium, 140mg chromium and 820mg nickel from the environment. While our native Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) is one of the best trees at removing harmful particulates from the atmosphere.

Poor air quality and in particular particulate content is linked to respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, neurological side effects and an increase in chemical sensitivity and allergies.

discover more at the 10 good reasons to plant a tree post below.