Tree Trust	Chapter 5 - Tomorrow's Trees

The Sky is the Limit Planting Project Ideas Every planting project began as an idea. Perhaps the idea came from a single individual. Perhaps it is the result of a formal decision-making process by a committee. Regardless of its origin, a good idea needs well defined goals and objectives to ensure success. No matter what type of project you do, here are some tips for developing a good one: Plant with a purpose–Decide what your goals and objectives are at the beginning. Stay focused on them as you plan your project. Work with your community–Plant trees to solve a problem or fulfill a need. Make sure that the planting design meets the goals and objectives of your project. Involve a cross-section of the community–Seek input from community officials, maintenance personnel, tree professionals, sponsors, local businesses and citizens. Keep it realistic and manageable– Divide a long-range plan into phases and take on one project at a time. After the goals and purpose are established, think about the size of project you would like to tackle. Quick projects are simple and do not require a huge time commitment. Long-range projects require strong commitments of time and energy from everyone involved. They have great potential benefit Perhaps you want to take on a project that falls somewhere in between. You will come up with many good ideas as you brainstorm. Here are some ideas to get you started: Quick Project Ideas Sponsor an Arbor Day ceremony Take care of a new tree Plant a memorial tree Promote tree education in schools. More Project Ideas Organize a tree exhibit Work with a youth organization on tree projects Promote a community Christmas tree recycling program. Long-Range Ideas Become a Tree City USA community Organize a tree-to-mulch and yardwaste- to-compost program in your community Establish a community garden Organize a cooperative roadside landscape project Encourage your local government to plant trees along streets and in parking lots Convert an empty lot into a park Establish a green belt around your city Establish a school arboretum Work with your city forester to complete a tree inventory Create a team of tree watchers to look for tree problems in your community Encourage residents to plant trees Plant for energy conservation.

For further assistance in planning your project and generating project ideas, consult these publications: Handbook For Volunteer Tree Projects, Lisa L. Burban, 1992. Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee (Community Outreach Task force) and USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry A Community Planning Guide to Arbor Month, Minnesota Arbor Month Partnership and USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.

That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics...We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Aldo Leopold When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. John Muir

Ecosystem Management That all things are connected to all other things is a basic principle of ecology. In nature, trees do not exist by themselves, but are part of a complex network of soil, water, vegetation, microbes, insects and animals called an ecosystem. All the parts of an ecosystem support and influence one another. Trees in urban areas are part of the urban ecosystem. They are connected to all the other parts of the system. Ecosystem management is a broad approach to caring for the environment in a way that takes into account all of the physical, ecological, and social factors of an area. The objective is to maintain and enhance the quality of the environment to meet the needs of people both now and in the future. The components of an ecosystem are all part of cycles involving the flow of water, carbon and nutrients. Many i mp o r t a n t a n d b e n e f i c i a l interrelationships exist. A healthy ecosystem is diverse, stable and in some sort of balance. The concept of ecosystem management is not new to natural resource managers, but in practice, urban ecosystem management is in its infancy. Natural resources managers can provide invaluable advice about your project, but they don't have all the answers. You make decisions that affect ecosystems. Consider each of the scenarios that follow. What decisions would you make to meet the needs of people while protecting or improving the environment? Everyone agrees that Maple Park should feature maple trees. Planners want to plant native sugar maple for good fall color. They want the trees planted far enough apart that the park has an open look. Members of the Park Commission remember the devastation that Dutch elm disease caused in parks that only had elm trees–they want diversity. The park is ten acres in size and neighbors want at least two acres of the park set aside as a natural area. Sugar maple is a good choice for parks, but it has limitations. In nature, it grows in association with American linden (basswood), American elm, ironwood and other species of trees. It likes cool, moist conditions. To simulate these, plant sugar maples with other trees at a close spacing. Use copious amounts of woodchip mulch. This prescription fits the natural area, especially when native shrubs, wildflowers and grasses are added to the plan. Not only will the trees thrive, but wildlife will benefit, too. The red are orange fall color of sugar maple is striking against the pure yellow of species such as linden and ironwood. Sugar maple is appropriate for other parts of the park, but it is wise to plant a diversity of trees. Diversity limits insect and disease problems and enhances wildlife habitat. Because it is sensitive to de-icing salt, sugar maple would rather grow in the middle of a park than next to a busy street.

The city tree commission is asked to approve a plan for a new industrial subdivision. As required by ordinance, the developer proposes to protect a small woods. It is located behind the proposed buildings. When construction is done, the woods will be an island of green in sea of parking lots and structures. Once isolated from other green spaces, small woods become off limits for some species of birds and animals. They need a bigger territory and are not willing to venture across parking lots. In this situation, it is worth trading a little bit of the woods for a corridor of green that connects the woods with vegetation outside the subdivision. Your committee must find a strategy to deal with the problem of annual spring floods along the Ash River. Some propose an engineering solution: widen and straighten the river. Others propose a "natural" solution: work upriver to reduce the amount of water that flows into town. Both alternatives are engineering solutions. Engineering projects do not need to result in shorelines of concrete and rip-rap that are devoid of riparian vegetation. A creative solution includes increasing vegetative cover, adding ponding areas and minimizing runoff from hard surfaces throughout the watershed. These result in a measurable reduction in flooding. Even traditional engineering solutions are more ecologically friendly when they include reconstruction of the riparian vegetation corridor that lines rivers. Riparian vegetation is critical to bird and animal survival and helps meet the recreational and spiritual needs of people. Your church acquires property to expand the education building. Part of the property is an old woods. It is overgrown with exotic honeysuckle shrubs. Church members are divided on how to clean up the area: leave it "natural" or remove the "junk", seed grass and keep it mowed. All agree that keeping the big trees is a priority so that the area gets used as a place for quiet reflection. If exotic trees and shrubs spread and shade out desirable native plants, they do more harm than good. Use care, but get rid of them! With some strategic clearing of additional vegetation, the church may be able to meet both the need for nature and for sanctuary without damaging trees. Leave the existing groundcover unmowed to keep the cool, moist conditions in which trees thrive. Welcome visitors with a woodchip path and a sign. A neighborhood dominated by old apartment buildings generates more than its share of police calls. After a disturbing incident of domestic violence, the mayor launches an allcommunity effort to reduce crime there. She asks every city board and civic group in town to participate. You visit the area with your tree group and find that the only greenspace is a patch of grass half the size of a city lot. Decaying stumps mark where trees once stood. Trees make a difference! Consider the tiny greenspace. It is not the kind of place that attracts law abiding adults. We don't tend to linger in such places. Research tells us that if the same greenspace included trees, neighbors would be more likely to linger, to meet each other and to use non-violent ways to settle disputes--both in and out of the home. Decaying stumps send residents the message that the city doesn't care about their neighborhood. Imagine the same area with well maintained trees. Talk with neighborhood leaders. A volunteer tree planting project might be the catalyst that brings neighbors together and gives each of them a stake in their own future.

Although we depend on nature for our survival, most of us lack understanding of the ways in which living plants support our life and can improve its condition. Rogers C. B. Morton Link for More Information: ° Landscape Design as an Art and Science

What is the goal of your project? ° Conserve energy ° Establish a park ° Enhance a   community entrance °Landscape for wildlife ° Create an outdoor    learning area. Trees that are not hardy suffer dieback of flowers, branches or the whole tree. Consult a U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone map. In southern Minnesota choose a tree that is hardy to Zone 4. For areas north of the Twin Cities choose a tree that is hardy to Zone 3.

Give Trees a Chance Select the Right Tree Selecting trees to use in your planting project is the most important and the most challenging part of the planning process. The trees you select will need to be able to grow in the soil, light, space and drainage conditions found on your site. Chances are some of those conditions will be less than ideal. There are many types of trees available for planting in Minnesota. These trees have different sizes, shapes, growth rates, and site preferences. Your job is to narrow your choices down to those species that best suit the goals and site of the project. Remember that your task will be easier, and your project more successful, if you choose trees that fit the site conditions, not ones that have to be "force-fit" into the landscape. Following is information about landscape design, soils, species selection and planting stock that should help you choose the best trees. The type of tree you choose to plant depends on the goals of your project, the characteristics of the tree, the site where the tree will be planted and the amount of maintenance required. Plant a variety of trees to reduce the chance of a serious insect or disease outbreak. Become familiar with the different types of trees available in your area, and their growing requirements. Tree Characteristics There are two major types of trees to choose from: Evergreen—Most members of the conifer family hold their leaves (needles) for several years before shedding them. Spruce, pine, and fir are examples of conifers Deciduous—These are trees that lose their leaves in the fall. Oak, maple, linden, hackberry and elm are all deciduous trees. Some deciduous trees, such as maples, are planted for the shade they produce, while trees such as flowering crabapple and mountain ash, which have attractive flowers and fruits, are chosen for their ornamental value. Evergreens, such as spruce and pine, are often planted to provide privacy and shelter from winter winds. Trees have other characteristics which are important to consider when selecting trees: Hardiness—There are many lovely trees and shrubs to choose from, but not all of them survive our northern winters. Start by selecting plants that are hardy to your region. Then, select plants that tolerate the other unique winter stresses in your area, such as high wind, heavy snow fall, ice-storms or long, cold springs. Much of a plant's tolerance to winter conditions relates to how healthy the plant was when winter set in. A plant may be completely winter hardy to an area, but still suffer damage if it went into the winter in a weakened condition, suffering from drought damage, defoliation from insects, or poor growth due to soil pH problems. Growth Rate and Longevity—Fastgrowing trees such as silver maple, cottonwood and willow provide quick shade compared to bur oak and Kentucky coffeetree. Fast growth is desirable in certain situations, but trees which grow quickly reach their mature size early and tend to die sooner than trees with a slower growth rate. Rapidly growing trees also tend to have structural problems such as breaking branches and shallow root systems.

Tolerance To Site Conditions—For most landscapes, especially plantings on tough sites such as streets, parks and school grounds, this is the most important attribute. Plants must tolerate the conditions at a site to be healthy and show off desirable characteristics such as attractive flowers or tall, graceful shape. Choose trees and shrubs based on tolerance to drought, wet soils, windy locations, deicing salt spray and soil pH. Some trees have the ability to tolerate a wide range of growing conditions from wet to dry sites, and sandy to clay soils. These have some advantages, especially if you do not know the quality or uniformity of the soil conditions. For urban sites, consider the ability of a tree species to grow in areas where there is a lot of reflected heat and light from paved surfaces or where there is night lighting. Tolerance to Insects, Diseases and Cultural Problems—Select a tree that is resistant to major disease and insect pest problems in your region Contact your local extension office of the University of Minnesota Extension Service, find out which diseases and pests are problems in your area, and choose plants that are tolerant to them. Size and Form—Consider the mature size and form of the tree. Space may be limited near buildings or under power lines. Size and form also need to be considered when you are planting boulevard trees, landscaping the front lawn of a home or business, or planting trees for energy conservation. Timing leaf out and leaf fall—If you need a tree to provide some summer shade for a south yard, yet do not want it to keep winter sun from your south windows, choose one that has an open canopy, loses its leaves early in the autumn and leafs out late in the spring. Texture—Each tree species has a characteristic texture during each season. Some are soft, others are coarse. Some have distinctive bark, others have interesting branching habits. Canopy density—Trees with very dense branches and leaves are good for blocking views and winds, but may bother the turf under them. Trees with compound leaves, such as ash and honeylocust, usually are less dense, so you can grow turf in their shade. Flowers—A tree's flowering habit may or may not make it worth planting for that reason alone. Most flowers only last a couple of weeks, so if other attributes of the tree are not good, such as weak wood or lack of disease or insect resistance, then flowering should not be a deciding factor. However, if the tree is an excellent tree for the landscape and it happens to have a very attractive flower, such as the Japanese tree lilac or the catalpa, then flowering may be the reason why you choose it over another. Fruit—Most flowering plants have some type of fruit, whether it's a dry samara on a maple or a succulent berry on a serviceberry. Selecting a plant for its fruit, whether you will eat it, use it to attract wildlife or just enjoy its beauty, is more logical than selecting a plant just for its flower.

Let us hope that to increase the interest and beauty of the scenery, patches of woodland may also be added to it. For now, not a tree exists to break the monotony of the view, or temper the blasts of winter. From the journal of Alfred R. Waud 1872 Learn where tree species grow naturally. Species such as paper birch, which naturally grow in cool woodland sites, do not grow well in exposed, hot, dry urban yards. To simulate woodland conditions, plant a birch tree with companion plants and use mulch to keep the soil cool under the canopy of the tree.

Bur oak is native to nearly every county in Minnesota. River birch is native to Minnesota, specifically to the Mississippi River Valley south of St. Paul. 'Northwood' red maple is a cultivar. It was originally selected from a group of native red maple trees in Floodwood, Minnesota, for its orange-red fall color and ability to withstand Minnesota winters. It is reproduced by cloning. Common buckthorn, tatarian honeysuckle, Norway maple and Amur maple are nonnative shrubs and trees that reproduce on their own and tend to shade out more desirable native plants in natural habitats.

Make sure the fruit will not become a problem. Some dried fruits have a bad reputation for clogging gutters and downspouts. Other fruits drop when ripe and may create slippery messes if the plant hangs over sidewalks, roads or patios. Some fruits, such a ginkgo, have a foul odor. Fall Color—In northern climates, this attribute may be more valuable than spring flowering. There are many trees and shrubs that have outstanding fall color shows that last much longer than flowering periods. Some of the more notable plants for fall color are: sugar and red maple; river birch; many of the viburnums; and white ash. Maintenance Needs—All trees require maintenance. They need watering, mulching, weed control and pruning. To reduce long-term maintenance costs, choose trees which require little pruning or pest control. Native and Non-Native Plants Native plants are enjoying a surge in popularity--with good reason! Like their horticultural cousins, native plants have desirable characteristics. They are at home in all types of landscapes. The information below will help you decide how native plants fit into your project. Plant experts generally agree that a native plant species is one that was present in a certain area before European settlement. European settlement dates to about 1850 in Minnesota. A defined area may be a site, state, region or continent. A nonnative species, often called an exotic species, is one growing outside its natural range. Plants labeled as wildflowers may or may not be native— buyer beware! When an exotic species is planted outside of its range, botanists call it 'introduced'. Some exotic species are well established and reproducing on their own outside of their native ranges. These are called 'naturalized' species. Some naturalized species, such as dandelions, do not upset nature (they only upset people), while others, such as European buckthorn, upset natural plant communities and affect natural animal communities, too. Native plants are often more tolerant of existing soils than non-native species and have better resistance to local insect and disease problems. Native plants living in conditions similar to their native habitat are generally more winter hardy than non-native species and usually require less maintenance. Native plants are appropriate in many landscape situations from front yards to roadsides. They are essential in plantings designed to blend into surrounding natural areas. If your goal is to restore a specific plant community on a site, such as a prairie or oak forest, select species that are native to that specific site and do not use horticultural varieties. Plant common red-osier dogwood, for example, rather than its horticultural sister 'Isanti' red-twigged dogwood. Despite the good characteristics of native plants, non-native species are appropriate in many planting projects. Urban soils are often far different than the native soil that once supported native plants. Non-native plants often do better than native plants on these disturbed sites. Once a non-native species has grown in an area for a long time, it is considered "adapted" to local conditions. Include native species in your planting project. When the situation calls for non-native plants, choose those that are winter hardy. Near natural areas, choose native plants, or non-native plants that do not spread to other areas.

Know What You're Buying When you are in the process of selecting plants for your project, you will be confronted by terminology which may be foreign to you. Botanical Latin or "scientific" names for plants are used so that there is no confusion as to the identity of the plant material no matter where in the world you are located. For example, the name ironwood is used commonly for two different trees, Ostrya virginiana (hop hornbeam) and Carpinus carolinianus (blue beech). These are very different plants, so, to be sure that you get the tree you want, know the characteristics and use the Latin name! The first part of a botanical name is the genus and the second part is the species. The genus name is capitalized. The species name is not. These are either underlined or written in italics to show they represent a scientific name. Trees which are closely related to one another, such as red and white oaks, have the same genus name, Quercus, but different species names. Quercus rubra is red oak and Quercus macrocarpa is bur oak. There may be hybrid, variety or cultivar names which follow the genus and species. A hybrid is a cross between two species or geographic races within a species. Hybrids can occur naturally or artificially. An example of a hybrid is Freeman maple which is the product of a cross between silver and red maples. The name of a hybrid is written in Latin and underlined or italicized, as in Acer X freemanii for a Freeman maple. A botanical variety is a group of individual plants within one species that have noticeable differences from the species and retain these differences when reproduced in nature from seed. Black Hills is a botanical variety of white spruce, and the name is written in Latin and italicized or underlined, as Picea glauca var. densata. The variety is native to the Black Hills area of South Dakota and has a more compact form than white spruce from other areas. A cultivar is plant selected from a population of plants because it has desirable characteristics and is cultivated and given a specific name. Many are reproduced by cloning. Clones are plants derived vegetatively from one parent plant, so that each is genetically identical to the other and to the parent. Clones may occur naturally or artificially. Nurseries collect seed such as acorns from native trees. These may be labeled "common." Grafting is one method of cloning. It is done by taking a cutting from one plant and attaching it to a rootstock of another, often closely related, plant. The rootstock often has a characteristic such as winter hardiness or a dwarfing effect which influences the growth of the plant which is being grafted onto it. The names of cultivars are written using the genus and species, plus a cultivar name. The cultivar name is not italicized, but is enclosed in single quotes. Fraxinus pennsylvanica 'Marshall's Seedless' is a cultivar of seedless green ash commonly known as Marshall's Seedless ash. We recommend buying plants from northern growers. As part of the selection process, check that the plants are grown from regional seed sources. This is particularly important for species which have a wide native growing range such as bur oak and red maples. Locally grown plants are better adapted to the temperature, moisture, soil and day length conditions of our region than plants obtained from the southern United States. Because they are better adapted to the environmental conditions, they will have fewer problems with hardiness, establishment, insects and diseases than plants which originated in other parts of the country.

What Is An Elaeagnus angustifolia? It is the botanical name for a small tree commonly known as Russian olive. The famous Yoshino cherry trees around the Washington Monument and the Tidal Basin in Washington D.C. are Prunus x yedoensis, a hybrid . The tree first came to America from Japan in 1902. Aspen trees can reproduce by sprouting suckers from the roots. Clones of a single tree may cover an acre or more. Links for More Information: ° Living in Town ° Ecosystem    Management ° Good Earth

Follow these steps to ensure that the form is truly following the function of the landscape: ° Know what you    want the landscape    to do ° Know what the site    is like ° Select plants to    match the site and    functions ° Use different    arrangements of    plant materials for    interest and the    health of the    landscape ° Consider everything    in the landscape, not    just the trees and    shrubs; e.g., turf,    flowers, mulches,    pavement and    people. Contributed by Gary R. Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota.

Landscape Design as an Art and Science Designing landscapes is an art and a science. The art of designing successful landscapes creates a soothing, aesthetic setting; or landscapes that stimulate people at every turn; or perhaps, landscapes that mentally and spiritually transport people to another place and time. The science of landscape design is equally complex and influential. Welldesigned landscapes are healthy and easily managed; they are safe for all users, or at least give the feeling of safety; and they help conserve energy by reducing cooling and heating costs. Combining the art and science of landscape design is not difficult. Successful landscapes need not jump out at you, proclaiming their beauty and usefulness; many times it's just a feeling that everything is right. Walk or drive around the lakes in Minneapolis, through Como Park in St. Paul or through the Arboretum in Chanhassen. These landscapes are successful because you feel good in them, not because they have roses or masses of potentilla or flowering crabapples. Unfortunately, there are as many examples of unsuccessful landscapes: sick trees (hardly aesthetic); turf that is thin, muddy or weed infested; parks so thickly forested and planted that people are afraid to walk through them at night; and decapitated trees under power lines. Where to begin? This is the most difficult part: the planning stage. A phrase coined at the turn of the 20th century stated "Form follows function." It has been over-used lately, but you should take it to heart. Why are you landscaping an area? The answer to this question provides the function of the landscape. The form, or how the landscape will look, is customized to meet this function. For example, if the function of a school project landscape is to provide a shady area for children to picnic under, then the form is very specific. In Minnesota, not many school children take their lunch under the shade of trees in the winter, so the shade could be provided by trees that are either evergreen or deciduous (lose their leaves in the winter). You only need the shade in the spring, summer and fall seasons, and both types of trees will provide that. Many trees must be tall enough for people to walk under. No headknocking lower limbs, please. As a rule of thumb, branches should eventually be no lower that 6 feet, 6 inches above the ground for safety. Select trees that can be pruned up to this height and still not look like a table top. Some tree species have naturally high, arching branches, so few branches need to be removed. Don't use trees that will drop messy or dangerous fruit on the people below. Don't use trees that have thorns, especially at eye level. How many trees do you need? How big of an area do you need for the picnic spot? 10 feet by 10 feet? Larger? Once you know the size of the desired area, determine how wide the trees need to spread. Do you want a feeling of sitting among a grove of trees? If so, choose trees that don't spread far and plant them close together. Do you want a more open feeling, keeping tree trunks to a minimum? Use wide-spreading trees, planted further apart. Either choice is correct, depending upon how you want the landscape to look and feel.

Your final task is to consider the surface of the ground. If you expect an area to be heavily used, then it could get muddy and messy under the trees, especially in the spring. Lots of traffic compacts soil and makes it difficult for trees to survive, much less grow healthy and look good. Wood chip mulch is a simple solution. Paving bricks or flagstone are more permanent. What happens when landscapes are designed with no function in mind? Sometimes they are just fine (pure luck), but more commonly they evolve into disappointments and/or maintenance nightmares. For example, the designer is determined to use sugar maples wherever possible. If used in large areas where people don't care about a beautiful lawn under the tree, they are fine. But, if the same tree is planted in a small front yard in town, and the homeowner wants a beautiful lawn, there are problems ahead. It gets too big for the area, and branches will conflict with the house and overhead utility lines if present. The lawn slowly withers away until it becomes the turf equivalent of a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. A good tree in the wrong spot becomes an unsuccessful landscape. Planning the Landscape Step One: Determine the functions-- Spend a lot of time on this step. The more functions that you itemize, the easier it will be to design the project. How will the landscape be used? For passive recreation such as socializing, meditating or birdwatching, or for active recreation such as frisbee, baseball, or soccer? When will it be most used? For winter months plantings can block northwest winds. For summer months, trees provide shade needed for picnics, sports or concerts. Is energy conservation an important function? If so, is it to shade east and west windows to reduce summer cooling costs, or to block northwest winds to reduce winter heating costs? Is it important to block unsightly views of highways, factories, or dumps, or keep clear sight lines? If vandalism or other criminal activities are common problems, keep clear sight lines. If vehicle traffic is common, keep clear sight lines near intersections. To keep sight lines clear, restrict plants to low shrubs and high-branched trees. Is a formal-looking landscape with sheared hedges, uniformly-spaced plants and rectilinear lines desired? Or, are you trying to create a more natural, informal landscape, with groupings (copses) of trees and shrubs, intermingled with grasses and flowers, and curvilinear lines? Are you working with a limited maintenance budget where pruning, disease and insect pest control are not options, but luxuries? Choose plants that have the reputation of being structurally strong (no weak wood or branches), requiring little pruning, and are resistant or tolerant to diseases and insect pests.

The materials of city planning are: sky, space, trees, steel, and cement; in that order and that hierarchy.” LeCorbusier Swiss Architect Sent to Japan in 1973, American dogwood trees spread their branches around a statue of Tokyo's onetime mayor, Yukio Ozaki. Links for More Information: ° Living in Town ° Ecosystem    Management ° Good Earth

If you want to be happy for a year...plant a garden. If you want to be happy for a lifetime, plant a tree. Author Unknown

The list of functions may go on and on...and that's good! The more that can be itemized, the easier the design will take shape. Step Two: The Site Analysis--A careful analysis of the planting site will prevent many problems from occurring later on. As a minimum, use the following site analysis checklist: Space limitations. Think above and below ground, horizontally and vertically. Look up. Are there utility lines? How far above the ground are they? Are there buildings nearby? What is the distance from the proposed planting site (center of hole) to the building? This determines the maximum planting width for the site. Are streets, curbs, or sidewalks nearby? Could roots from trees planted cause damage to the paving? If so, either move the planting site or use plant materials that do not normally damage paving materials with their roots. If the width of the parkway (area between the sidewalk and curb) is narrow (3-4 feet or less), do not use trees that develop wide trunk flares at the ground line. Are the trees or shrubs going to be planted in planters or below-ground pits? If so, how many cubic feet of soil volume will be provided? Larger trees need 300-1000 cubic feet of soil to grow normally and be healthy. Most planters/pits provide about 75 cubic feet, enough for a good-sized shrub under normal conditions. Soil. Check soil pH (acidity or alkalinity). Most plants do best with a soil pH range of 5.5-7.0. Not many plants will do well in soil over 8.0. Plant selection for such alkaline soil requires forethought and research. Check drainage. Poorly-drained soil is a plant killer. For wet sites, select plants that are adapted to the wet soils of floodplains or swamps. For dry, well drained sites choose upland forest plants that like drier soils. Check soil depth. Ideally, trees need 30 inches of good soil depth to grow and be healthy. Shrubs need 24 inches, perennials and ornamental grasses need 18 inches. Exposure. Sun direction. Northern and eastern exposures are shady. Plants that require full sun (spruce, junipers, honeylocust) may not do well here. Western and southern exposures are bright and warm and uncomfortable for shade-loving plants. Southern and southwestern exposures may cause stem cracking on young or smooth-barked trees in the winter. Many evergreens (arborvitae, yews) will "burn" in the winter when exposed to the low southern sun.

Wind direction. Northwest winter winds are a primary concern in Minnesota. They not only draw a lot of heat from homes, but a lot of moisture from plants, especially some evergreens. Traffic patterns, speed limits and snow plowing. Deicing salt harms plants by running off the roads with melted snow and ice, by being plowed off with snow and accumulating in the soil, or by drifting onto plants as spray salt. Spray salt is a particular problem near high-use, high-speed roads. Plants in landscapes that are subject to either soil accumulations of deicing salt or spray drift must be able to tolerate this stress. Relatively speaking, there are few plants that fit this function, so selection must be researched. Areas where plowed snow is deposited are not good areas for shrubs and trees. Either avoid planting in snow deposit sites or relocate the deposit area. Other trees and shrubs in the area. Use something different when possible. Try to establish an urban forest where each species accounts for 15 percent or less of the total tree population. Sometimes this isn't always possible, especially on tough, exposed sites. Rather than use seven to ten different tree species for the sake of diversity, use three or four species if those are the only ones that do well and look nice. Check out other trees and shrubs growing in the area. Don’t use them if they are consistently doing poorly. Step Three: Draw the area (to scale) on a map or get a blueprint of the area--Start sketching in your ideas and draw these to scale, also. Drawing to scale means using an inch on your map equivalent to a distance in the landscape. For instance, one inch on your drawing represents 10 or 20 feet in the landscape. Record your site analysis notations on this map, too, so you don't forget about those utility lines 25 feet above ground and plant 50-foot trees under them. Does it look too "busy?" Too congested? Erase some of the plants. Does it look too sparse? Too open? Add more trees and shrubs. As long as you draw to scale, you will get a feeling of the landscape you are planning. Pay attention to those gut feelings. Step Four: Tree forms--How a tree can be used in the landscape is related to its form. Typical tree forms are: Pyramidal. Alone, these are formallooking plants; that is, they look architectural, trimmed, manicured. Usually they are dense and good for blocking views and winds. However, they have lots of lower branches and will require a lot of pruning if a sight line is to be maintained.

Draw a plan to scale on paper before you plant trees and shrubs. It's easier to correct mistakes on paper than in the landscape.

A man has at least a start at discovering the real meaning of human life when he plants a shade tree under which he will never sit. Eldon Trueblood

Rounded. These are more informal in appearance, good for blocking views if the lower branches are retained; or, limbed-up for more desirable lawns under the branches. Arching. A good form for lining streets, sidewalks or planting in pits or planters and patios. They have few lower branches to prune and their natural form allows traffic movement under them, with few conflicts. They are poor for blocking views, however. Irregular. Informal, interesting growth habit. Good for lawn or street trees. Moderately effective for blocking views and winds. Columnar. Very formal looking. Great alternatives for space-limited areas. Poor shade trees. Horizontal. Usually refers to shrubs. May be very low to the ground, or very horizontal in appearance. Good for sites where you need a plant that has a normal spread but will stay shorter than normal. With shrubs, these may be effective alternatives to groundcovers and turf. Compact and dwarf. These are relative terms. Compact trees and shrubs are smaller in height and width than normal. Dwarf is much smaller. However, a compact hemlock will be much larger than a compact shrub, normally. Step Five: Spacing and Arrangement- - Linear spacing. For street trees, linear spacing ranges from 20-50 feet between trees, with 40 feet being most common. However, if the trees/shrubs being planted are small to medium sized, space them closer together for better proportion. Medium to large shade trees are usually spaced about 40 feet apart. Trees do not need to be spaced evenly. For plant health reasons, it is a good idea to plant in groups whenever possible. Like forests, natural grouping of plants creates an overall environment (cooler soils, more uniform moisture) that is more favorable to tree health, as opposed to specimen spacing. Not all trees do well in close groups. If trees naturally grow in wooded areas or at the edge of woods, they will do well planted in groups. Another advantage of planting in groups is that less attention is paid to individual trees. The beauty of the landscape becomes a group effect. The group may have some individuals that are not performing well, but together, they look healthy and aesthetic. Mixing some understory shrubs in with the group of trees makes it even more attractive and much easier to maintain. In Conclusion: Designing a good landscape may seem overwhelming. It should not be a simple task with little forethought; these trees and shrubs that you plant are meant to look good and provide benefits for generations to come. However, the more you examine the site, itemize what you want it to do and research plant materials, the greater the chances are that you are creating a successful landscape.

Tree Companions Landscaping with companion plants is not an innovative idea in landscaping; it's been done by "Mother Nature" in every plant community in every type of situation. Ecologically speaking, companion plants are similar to the plants found in a specific plant community, e.g., plants that are normally found together in a pond community, a desert community or a northern riparian (river) community. Plants that normally grow together in any natural community have common traits, such as tolerance to drought, sun or flooded soils; or, they may have common frailties, such as an intolerance to direct sun, strong winter winds or organically poor soils. Using companion plantings as a landscape concept is not new either. Most landscapes include "foundation plantings," where masses (groupings) of shrubs, some smaller trees, maybe groundcovers and flowers and some type of mulch are planted together. What may be more unusual, but a practice that is becoming a more common recommendation, is to include lawn, street and park trees in companion planting settings wherever possible. Tree and turf (lawn grasses) don't always mix and do well. Considerable field research has demonstrated that many trees perform much better when turf is removed from all or part of the soil area where tree roots exist. There is evidence that trees can grow twice as much in caliper (stem diameter) when turf is replaced by an organic mulch around newly planted trees. The removal of the very competitive turf root system leaves more nutrients and water for the landscape trees. Most of the fertilizer that we apply to the surface over a tree's root system will be utilized by the turf if it covers the tree's root system. Trees that grow in mulched beds or natural companion planting settings such as woodlands, concentrate the majority of their fine roots, the so-called feeder roots, in the upper 6-10 inches of soil. When there is no aggressive competition for space, water and nutrients from plants such as grass, trees are able to maintain a higher state of vitality (overall health), grow at a normal pace for the species (vigor), and resist such problems such as diseases, insects and drought much better than trees grown in bare areas or surrounded by turf. Companion plants will compete with the trees for nutrients and water, but much less than turfgrass does. The root system of a suitable companion plant will be much less developed and aggressive than that of a typical lawn grass. Some trees seem to grow well in grassy areas. These situations are usually because those trees naturally grow in grassy open areas (savannas, meadows, forest edges) or because the landscape is so well maintained that adequate water and nutrients are available to the trees despite turf competition. Other trees are rarely found growing in open, grassy areas, preferring to grow in more densely wooded areas. Rather than grass as companions, wildflowers, ferns, shrubs and small trees are the associates. Examples include the birches, sugar and red maples, white and red oaks and basswood. Unfortunately, these trees usually make up the majority of the trees sold as lawn or street trees, and are forced into an unnatural competition with turfgrass. However, even trees, such as bur oak, honeylocust and hawthornes, that normally grow in grassy areas, are negatively affected by lawn grass competition. Savannas, meadows and prairies are characterized by expansive areas of grasses, but their root systems are much different than turf root systems.

Trees would be a lot better off if we stopped planting them in holes and started planting them in gardens. Contributed by Gary R. Johnson, Associate Professor, Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota.

Plant trees in mulched beds with companion shrubs and flowers to prevent common health problems.

Grasses grown in natural areas tend to produce root systems that penetrate the soil deeply; 3-4 feet is not uncommon. However, turfgrass is cultured to be maintained at a low mowing height. Research has shown that the more frequently mowing is done and the lower the mowing height, the more shallow the root systems become. Prairie grasses have 100 percent of their roots distributed to a depth of 3-4 feet or more; lawn grasses frequently have all of their root system in the top 6-8 inches of soil, the same area where trees naturally concentrate their feeder roots. Another reason for expanding the use of companion planting settings is the protection of the tree stems and roots. Trees that are mulched and companion planted are less likely to have maintenance equipment operating around their roots and trunks. By eliminating the need to trim closely with mowers and string trimmers, we can effectively eliminate the problems associated with lawn mower/string trimmer blight on trees: large wounds on the trunk, girdling of part or all of the trunk (the water and "food" conductive tissues are immediately beneath the outer bark) stem decay and even tree death. Bark splitting and stem cracking of trees, in particular younger and smoothbarked trees, is a common occurrence in the northern states. A recent winter damage survey in Minnesota indicated that even larger trees, up to 12 inches in trunk diameter were commonly damaged during the winter of 1993-94. Trees this large pose problems when trying to protect the trunks with tree wraps (largely ineffective) or plastic shields. Woody shrubs used as companion plantings may help to reduce winter stem damage. They deflect the winter sun's rays away from the bark of the trees. Even though shrubs may be deciduous (losing their leaves in the winter) the bare twigs deflect much of the direct sunlight which may cause extensive damage to tree trunks. In particular, trees with a southern exposure are most vulnerable to this type of winter damage and could benefit the most from shrubby companion plants. There are other situations that justify companion plantings. Many landscape trees produce extensive networks of woody surface roots that interfere with mowing. Poplars, spruce and willows are notorious for this. Others produce aggressive surface-feeder roots that outcompete turf for water, in particular, and the turf gradually thins out and dies. Norway maples, sugar maples and white pines are examples of these. Still, others may produce such dense shade that most of our northern lawn grasses simply can't photosynthesize well, which causes them to thin out and die. Maples, littleleaf lindens, pin oaks and other densely branched trees may cause this problem. Mulching alone, especially with an organic mulch such as wood chips or bark mulch, will remove the turf competition and create a more suitable environment for the trees. But complementing the mulched area with companion plants also serves two more useful purposes: aesthetics and moderation of the root environment. Aesthetically, a tree with a 3-4 foot diameter mulch bed at its base looks fine. However, this mulch bed is far too small to be beneficial to anything other than a newly planted tree. As a tree matures, its root system expands dramatically, and a 40-foot tree may need a mulch ring with a diameter of 20-25 feet. In a wooded area this looks normal; in a lawn area, street tree or park situation it looks out of place. Companion plantings disguise the mulched area, soften its coarseness, and provide a transition between the maintained turf and the tree.

Companion plantings in mulched areas moderate the environment, especially the soil environment that contains the tree's roots. Flowers, groundcovers and shrubs keep the mulched area shaded and more uniformly moist, trapping humidity. The foliage of companion plants deflects the sun's rays and helps keep the soil cooler in the summer. They duplicate the environment where trees grow naturally.   Shade Tolerant Companions Deciduous Shrubs and Small Trees: Serviceberry (Amelanchier) Korean rhododendron (Rhododendron) Azalea (Rhododendron) Summer sweet (Clethra) Pagoda dogwood (Cornus) Silky or red-twigged dogwood (Cornus) Burning bush (Euonymus) Winterberry (Ilex) Bladdernut (Staphylea) Viburnum (Viburnum) Evergreen Shrubs and Small Trees: Boxwood (Buxus) Yew, Japanese and Canadian (Taxus) Arborvitae (Thuja) Russian cypress (Microbiota) Perennial Groundcovers and Vines: Bugle (Ajuga) Anemone and windflower (Anemone) Columbine (Aquilegia) Goatsbeard (Aruncus) Wild ginger (Asarum) Coralbells (Heuchera) Tall meadowrue (Thalictrum) Spiderwort (Tradescantia) Wild bergamot (Monarda) Harebells (Campanula) Foam flower (Tiarella) Hosta lily (Hosta) Sun Loving Companions Deciduous Shrubs and Small Trees: Japanese barberry (Berberis) Burning bush (Euonymus) Red-twigged dogwood (Cornus) Winterberry holly (Ilex) Mockorange (Philadelphus) Forsythia (Forsythia) Lilac (Syringa)   Rugosa rose (Rosa) Spirea (Spiraea) Viburnum (Viburnum) Star magnolia (Magnolia) Evergreen Shrubs and Small Trees: Juniper varieties (Juniperus) Yew (Taxus) Arborvitae (Thuja) Mugo pine (Pinus) Perennial Vines: Bittersweet (Celastrus) Wintercreeper (Euonymus) Clematis (Clematis) Perennial Groundcovers: Bugle (Ajuga) Phlox (Phlox) Iris (Iris) Aster (Aster) Goldenrod (Solidago) Coneflower (Echinacea) Dwarf sunflower (Heliopsis) Coreopsis (Coreopsis) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) Companions for Wet Areas Deciduous Shrubs and Small Trees: Red-twigged dogwood (Cornus) Silky dogwood (Cornus) Winterberry holly (Ilex) Swamp azalea (Rhododendron) Blueberry (Vaccinium) Viburnums-several (Viburnum) Summer sweet (Clethra) Buttonbush (Cephalanthus) Serviceberry (Amelanchier) Perennial Groundcovers and Vines: Shooting star (Dodecathion) Great Solomon's seal (Polygonatum) Blue flag and sweet flag iris (Iris) Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium) Great blue lobelia (Lobelia) Cardinal flower (Lobelia) New England aster (Aster).

I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines. Henry David Thoreau

To attract birds and animals, sites need to meet four basic needs: ° Food ° Water ° Cover ° Nesting sites. The more diverse your backyard wildlife habitat, the more different types of creatures will call it home. Butterfly garden designed by Carrol Henderson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Nongame Wildlife Program

Landscape for Wildlife The diversity of wildlife (larger mammals, rodents, birds, insects and amphibians) in natural ecosystems is much larger than occurs in most urban areas. Follow the guidelines below to increase the number and variety of wildlife in your backyard, school, park or natural area. Food–Plants which produce nuts and berries are obvious choices for use in wildlife-friendly areas. However, creatures also feed on shoots, buds, bark, flowers, stems and roots of many different types of plants. Planting a variety of plants will draw more wildlife, especially if you include ones which provide winter food. Providing food and habitat for insects will also draw in those animals and birds which eat insects. Native plants are often the best choices since the local wildlife population is adapted to the food plants which occur in the area. Grapevine, mulberry and raspberry are good sources of summer berries for wildlife. Red-twigged and grey dogwood shrubs produce berries which are an important food source in autumn. Crabapple, highbush cranberry and bittersweet fruits are not appetizing when first ripe but are good sources of winter food for wildlife. Grains such as corn are used by many species and form an important component of the diet, particularly in the fall. Feeders of various types can provide sunflower and other seeds for birds all year. Butterflies and moths need flowers that produce nectar, as well as plants on which the larvae (caterpillars) can feed. Native perennials such as milkweed, lupines, blazing star and coneflower, annuals such as salvia, petunias, flowering tobacco and marigolds, perennials such as columbine, hosta, phlox and herbs all attract moths and butterflies. Bees, hummingbirds and orioles are attracted to many of the same plants. 'Dropmore Scarlet' honeysuckle and trumpet creeper are vines which are especially attractive to hummingbirds. Water–It is important to provide water for wildlife year-round. Use a bird bath or other shallow container, or add pools or small ponds to the landscape. Use a submersible heater to keep the water from freezing in the winter. Dripping or running water is more attractive to wildlife than still water.

Cover–Wildlife need protection from adverse weather as well as places to hide from predators. Different layers of vegetation, from the ground up to the tops of tall trees, provide shelter for many different species. Groundcovers, shrubs, small trees, large shade trees and evergreens each provide unique habitat. Piles of brush and rocks can shelter mammals and snakes--be sure to locate them carefully in relation to other uses of an area. Nesting Sites– Dead trees and living trees with cavities provide nesting sites for many species of birds and mammals. Nest boxes are the urban equivalent of natural cavities and work well in lieu of dead and decaying trees. Different types of animals live in each type of nest box. To provide nesting sites in your project area, choose a box used by the type of animal you want to attract and install it in a suitable place. Shrubs, shade trees and evergreens provide nesting sites as well as cover. Ground nesting birds use unmowed areas of grasses and legumes as reproductive sites. The space required between nesting sites varies depending on the bird species, its size and how territorial it is. Place blue bird nest boxes 100 yards apart so their territories do not overlap. Woodducks don't defend territory around their nests, so they are happy to live close together. Along with these four basic needs, some species of animals have additional needs that must be met if they are to take up residence in urban areas. Songbirds and raptors use dead branches in trees as perching sites. Along the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota, bald eagles perch on bare branches in the tallest trees while they survey the water looking for food--they like a good view. Where there are no tall trees along the shoreline, there are no eagles. Wildlife habitat in urban areas requires careful planning to insure that it compliments the neighborhood rather than upsets the neighbors. Some folks do not appreciate landscape creativity that goes beyond annual flowers and mowed grass. They see the role of shrubs as limited to hedges and the perimeters of buildings. Use these care cues to help people recognize that your wildlife habitat project is an integral part of your landscape: Put a split rail or picket fence on one or more sides of a wildlife planting Maintain a definite, tidy edge, such as a row of decorative bricks, where lawn meets an unmowed area Use lots of woodchip mulch Install a bird feeder or nesting box Install a sign (this is especially important for planting projects in highly visible public areas). Decide which wildlife species you most want to attract and plan your landscaping accordingly. Providing animals with their basic requirements year-round will ensure a population of critters in years to come.

We see bobolinks on our [restored] prairie, where there haven’t been bobolinks for one hundred years. We see sandhill cranes, eagles, osprey and all sorts of different birds. That’s exciting for me and it’s something that we can hand on to the next generation. Father Paul Schwietz, O.S.B. St. John’s University Nanking cherry, a nonnative fruiting shrub, is used by 49 different species of birds.

Contrary to common belief, trees do not CAUSE cracks in sidewalks and streets. Tree roots have no reason to venture under pavement where there is no water or oxygen. Once a sidewalk or street has a crack though, tree roots can make it worse. Small roots grow along the cracks and get bigger each year, pushing up pavement as they grow. Avoid planting these notorious, pavement heaving trees within 4' of a sidewalk or street: ° Silver (soft) maple ° Elm ° Hackberry ° Poplar ° Cottonwood.

Get Along in Town Streets, Sidewalks, Sewers and Signs Trees are an important part of the urban environment. Along with utilities, streets and open space, trees satisfy the needs of people. To often, competition for space creates conflicts between trees and other elements of urban infrastructure. Good planning and routine tree maintenance keep these conflicts to a minimum. Look up and down and all around before you plant a tree. Choose the species of tree that best matches the purpose of the planting and the current and future use of the space. A tree that is just right for an expansive residential yard, might be a maintenance nightmare near the street. Learn the growth habits of the tree species you choose to plant. Good planning and routine tree maintenance virtually eliminates conflicts between streets and trees. Consider the type of traffic and maintenance on a street. Both the street sweeper and snowplow need room to pass without hitting trees. Are there utility lines overhead? Plant tall maturing trees and remove lower branches over time to frame a scenic view. Consider the needs and use of the surrounding streets and sidewalks. Will branches and leaves obscure traffic signs, lights or sight lines at street corners? Some trees produce fruit, nuts or seeds that, in some locations, are a clean-up problem. Signs play an important role in our communities. Proper placement and routine pruning virtually eliminate the problem of trees blocking traffic signs. More difficult is the situation in the central business district of town. Signs link customers and businesses and they have to be seen to do to their job. At the same time, trees play an important role in creating a friendly, inviting business environment. Preventing conflicts requires a two part approach: careful tree placement and thoughtful sign placement. Generally, signs that are simple and at eye level are the most people friendly and cause the least conflict with trees. In some urban situations there is no alternative to planting trees in sidewalk cutouts. It’s a hard life for a tree, but modern methods are making sidewalks a lot more tree friendly. Most important is the trend toward larger openings. Bigger is better. Even better is a large cutout with two or more trees, a living groundcover of shrubs or flowers and organic mulch. In addition to conflicts above ground, trees can cause problems underground. Perhaps the most well-known scenario is silver (soft) maple roots invading a sewer pipe. Known for its ability to send sinker roots deep into the ground, silver maple can invade leaky sewer pipes and bring modern plumbing to a standstill. Willow and poplar roots have the same reputation. Tree roots don't seek sewer pipes, but once they happen upon a leaky pipe in which they find air, water and nutrients, they proliferate. Modern plastic sewer pipe eliminates the problem but clay pipe is still common in older neighborhoods. In these situations, avoid planting soft maple, willow and poplar trees within 100' of sewer pipe. Before you plant a tree on public property, including your boulevard, check with city hall. Ask for permission to plant the tree. Some cities have ordinances that specify what species of tree you may plant in certain areas. A little planning ahead of time prevents tree conflicts in the future.

Get Along With Utilities We want trees around our home, along our streets and in our parks. We depend on trees to produce the oxygen we breath and to maintain the balance of life on earth. We also want electrical, telephone and television service. We depend on uninterrupted electrical power in our homes and our businesses. Trees and utilities have traditionally been at odds. Fortunately, the times are changing. With good community forest management and modern tree-pruning techniques, a new tradition of cooperation and co-existence has evolved in many communities. We depend on electricity to operate equipment in our homes, our factories, our offices and our schools. We tend to take electricity for granted. Where is your electricity produced? How does it get to your neighborhood? To your home? Do tree branches touch overhead wires in your community? Utility managers do not want trees to touch overhead utility lines. They have good reasons. · Trees can cause service interruptions when they contact wires · Trees in contact with utility wires create a safety hazard for people and property. Electricity travels from generating plants to your community through transmission lines. You see this network of lines on top of towers as you travel across the countryside. Transmission lines carry electrical current at a high voltage. Before it reaches your neighborhood, the voltage is stepped down at a substation transformer. From the substation, electricity travels through primary distribution lines to a transformer in your neighborhood. The transformer may be mounted on a pole or on a pad on the ground. Here the electrical current is again stepped down to 120- 240 volts and flows through a secondary distribution line into your home. The part of the line that extends from the pole or the box to your home is commonly called a service drop. The electrical current that flows through transmission and distribution lines is supposed to stay in the lines until you use it. Just as lightening follows a path into the ground, so does electrical current when it gets a chance. When tree branches touch un-insulated electrical lines (most are not insulated) electricity can travel through the tree and into the ground. The tree does not have to actually touch the wire. If conditions are right, electricity can jump from the line into a nearby tree. When trees contact electric lines, light bulbs flicker and part of the tree gets burned.

The wrong tree planted under permanent overhead conductors simply acts as a monument to the lack of understanding and cooperation between the city and the utility officials. Bob Skiera

Red Wing really got a good start in replacing trees under 3-phase power lines when the power company (NSP) initiated a Trade A Tree project. We worked with NSP and Tree Trust and it served as a catalyst to keep us going forward with future projects. We try to do a whole neighborhood rather than a tree here and one there. We’ve greatly reduced the number of large stature trees growing under lines. Henry Sorensen

When a tree branch falls onto an electrical line, it can cause the system to short circuit. The result is a power outage. This is common during storms, but can happen at any time, especially where trees with weak branches grow near the lines. If a branch falls onto a line, but stays attached to the tree, electricity may travel through the tree and into the ground. It is a dangerous situation. Each year people are injured or killed because they directly or indirectly contact electric lines. Touching the lines is direct contact. A person standing on the ground using a pole pruner that touches a tree that touches the electric line is an example of indirect contact. Electricity can leave the line and follow a path through the tree, the pole pruner and the person on its way into the ground. By this time, we hope you have gone outside and had a look at the electrical distribution system in your neighborhood. If the lines are all underground, read on, we will get to them in a few paragraphs. You probably cannot tell by looking whether or not a line is insulated. Assume it is not. Some lines have a black coating on them and they look like a household extension cord. That coating protects the wire from the weather, it does not protect you from electricity. Some electrical lines are insulated and telephone and television lines do not usually carry much electrical current. When branches rub constantly on these lines, they damage them by wearing through the casing. The rubbing also damages the tree because it wears through its casing of bark. The result is a wound. For the health of trees and the protection of utility lines, let the lines hang free. Utility arborists use pruning techniques that direct the growth of trees away from utility lines. Each utility has its own standards, called clearance distance standards, for how far they want the trees trimmed away from the lines. Generally, the higher the voltage, the greater the distance required. Some utilities require 10 feet of clearance on primary distribution lines and 2 feet on secondary lines. The trend is away from a set number of feet and toward a more individual approach where the growth of each tree is considered. They try to prune each tree so that branches will not touch the lines for several years. Utilities commonly trim trees in cycles of four to five years.

Modern Utility Line Clearance Techniques

When utility lines hang free, it's good for the tree and good for the lines. Sometimes it is best to remove a troublesome tree and replace it with a tree that will never grow into the lines. Photograph in the bottom of the left column is by Darrick Unger. All others are by Katie Himanga.

I see a conflict down the road with trees and underground utilities. Utility lines are helter skelter in boulevards which leaves little room for boulevard trees. Henry Sorensen The greatest threat of harm that trees pose to underground utility lines is at the time of planting. The greatest threat of harm that underground utility lines pose to trees is at the time of installation. Links for More Information: ° Landscape Design as   an Art and Science

The greatest threat of harm that trees pose to underground utility lines is at the time of planting. Hitting the lines while the sites are prepared is the problem. It is reduced to near zero when tree planters know the location of underground utilities. Call Gopher One before you dig. Don't expect utility lines to be a couple of feet underground and out of your way. Utility companies are not required to bury lines at any particular depth in Minnesota. They may be within inches of the surface. Trees get blamed for a lot of underground utility problems. In reality, trees roots seldom harm underground utilities. In compacted soils, tree roots may tend to follow the path of the utility trench in search of water and oxygen. Compacted soil is the problem, not tree roots. Some tree roots do take advantage of old, leaky sewer pipes or drain tile. Keep trees with invasive roots, like silver (soft) maple and willow away from these. Modern PVC sewer pipe virtually eliminates this problem. The greatest threat of harm that underground utility lines pose to trees is at the time of installation. Trenchers, plows and backhoes sever the roots of trees. As a result of root loss, adjacent trees often decline and may die. The most dramatic result of root severing happens when the wind blows a tree over because it is no longer anchored to the ground on all sides. The solution is to use a tunnel rather than a trench whenever utility lines must pass within the drip line of a tree. Utility managers and people who care about trees must work together for the long term health of our community forests. Plant short trees where there are overhead lines to eliminate a public safety hazard, decrease expenses for utilities and improve the appearance of the landscape. Consider summer shading and winter wind protection and the result is energy savings, too. An active community forestry program benefits utilities and their customers.

Good Earth Healthy Trees Need Healthy Soil The health of a tree depends on the health of its root system, which in turn depends on the health of the soil in which it grows. Soil is where trees get the water, nutrients and oxygen they need to grow. Tree roots typically extend out from the base of the tree a distance equal to one to two times the height of the tree. The soil in the place where you want to plant trees may bear little resemblance to the native soil that was once there. Over the years, human activity has dramatically altered the characteristics of soil in urban areas. We dig in it, scrape it off, haul it away, haul in fill, haul in "black dirt" and compact it with everything from foot traffic to bulldozers. We pollute it with salt, herbicides and other chemicals. In some places, the soil is so inhospitable that trees cannot grow. While many factors contribute to the untimely demise of trees, soil compaction is a key factor. Where this situation exists, soil preparation for tree planting is critical to the success of the project. Generally, work with the soil that exists, no matter what color it is. Resist the temptation to haul in "good black dirt." A heathy tree has a healthy root system. Soil must hold enough water for tree growth, but not so much that air spaces are waterlogged.

This we know, The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know, All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. Chief Seattle Obstacles to root development: ° Compacted soils ° Competition from turf    grasses ° Low moisture. Photograph in the bottom of the left column is by Darrick Unger. All others are by Katie Himanga.

Though a tree grow ever so high, the falling leaves return to root. Malay Proverb That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics...We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. Aldo Leopold

Oxygen and water that tree roots need is found in tiny air spaces called pores. In healthy soil, pore space should be about 50 percent. Tree roots suffocate from soil that is so compacted that it does not breathe or drain. When pore space is less, oxygen and water may be present in the soil but unable to move through it. Where compaction is a problem, do what farmers and gardeners do--break it up! Use a chisel plow to break up soil to a deep depth. A disk or rototiller will break up the surface of the soil, but will not break up the hard compacted layer just below. Incorporate composted yard waste. Compost improves the soil by holding water and providing important nutrients--it is a slow-release fertilizer. Earthworms help move compost around in the soil. Peat moss, a common soil amendment, is not the best choice for trees and shrubs because it holds an excessive amount of water. Adding mulch on top of soil has many benefits including helping reduce compaction. Soil compaction is easy to prevent. During construction activities, fence trees to prevent equipment from compacting the soil under the crown of each tree. Do not allow storage of materials or parking inside the fenced area. If heavy equipment must cross soil under a tree, put down a layer of wood chips up to 12 inches deep to soften the effect. Remove all but 4 inches of the chips at the end of the project. Water trees regularly during construction. The common practice of putting fill dirt or "black dirt" over existing soil can cause tree problems. Often the added soil does not match the subsoil where it's put. It may be a clay loam where there was originally sandy loam or visa versa. This can cause problems in soil moisture movement and root growth.

Soil Characteristics Soil texture is determined by the quantities of various inorganic particle sizes present (sand, silt, clay). Sandy soil is commonly called light soil and clay soil is commonly called heavy soil. Loam is a mixture of equal parts sand, silt and clay, and is the best soil for growing many kinds of trees. Soil structure is the way that soil particles are grouped together. Soil with good structure is a good environment for roots. Soil depth is the thickness of the topsoil layer and the total distance from the surface of the soil to bedrock. A hardpan is a layer of soil that is compacted so that water, air and roots cannot move through it. Hardpans occur naturally in some soils. They develop artificially in urban soils as a result of compaction and adding soil over compacted soil. Soil provides 13 of the 16 nutrients that plants need to grow: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, manganese, zinc, boron, copper, iron, molybdenum and chlorine. Plants get hydrogen, oxygen and carbon from air and water. The best source of information about the soils in your area is the soil survey produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. The soil survey is a book filled with maps and information about each kind of soil found in the county. It is available from the County Soil & Water Conservation District office or the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office. The soil survey is especially helpful if your planting area is on undisturbed soil. What kind of soil do you have? Slopes that face north are typically cool and moist. South facing slopes are hot and dry.

Each generation takes the earth as trustees. We ought to bequeath to posterity as many forests and orchards as we have exhausted and consumed. J. Sterling Morton

We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we are borrowing it from our children. Native American Saying Soil Testing Laboratory University of Minnesota 1903 Hendon Avenue St. Paul, MN 55108 Phone (612) 625-3101 Regular test costs $10.

What is your soil pH? Soil pH is a measure of how acid or alkaline the soil is. Soil is either acid (pH less than 7), neutral (ph of 7) or alkaline (pH greater than 7). Most trees prefer soil that is slightly acid. It is difficult and usually impractical to significantly change the pH of soil. It is easier to select a tree that tolerates the existing soil pH. For example, Norway pine and eastern pin oak are acid loving trees that turn yellow and suffer in alkaline soil. Bur oak and green ash trees tolerate alkaline soil. Soil Tests An evaluation of soil fertility and pH is an important early step in the tree planting process. A soil test, like those done by the University of Minnesota Soil Testing Laboratory, can tell you what kind of soil you have, how fertile it is and what the pH is. This important information will help you decide what kind of trees to plant and what soil amendments, if any, to use. Proper collection of the soil sample is important because results are only as good as the sample. Use a garden trowel or spade to scrape away any grass or other material on the surface of the soil. Then take the soil sample to a depth of 0-12 inches. Put the soil in a clean bucket or pan. Repeat in five (5) scattered spots within the area you want to plant. Mix the soil well and send about a pint of the sample to the lab. The University of Minnesota provides soil testing services for a fee. Sample bags and soil sample information sheets are available from the Soil Testing Lab or your county extension office, but any clean container may be used to send in the sample. Label the sample container with your name, address and sample identification. With the sample, enclose an information sheet indicating whether you want recommendations for broadleaf or evergreen trees. Percolation is the movement of water down through soil. Some soils drain quickly and the trees that grow there must tolerate dry conditions. Soils that drain slowly may be too wet for tree growth. To test percolation, dig a hole about a foot wide and two feet deep. Fill the hole with water and let it drain completely. Fill it again. If the water drains away within 24 hours, the soil drains well enough for tree growth. If not, trees may drown there.

Save Energy: Plant Trees Community Shelterbelts Belts of trees and shrubs protect homes, schools, neighborhoods and even whole towns from winter winds and blowing snow. The same shelterbelt designs that farmers use to control wind and snow are used to protect people, buildings and streets in town. Think of the places in your town where people would benefit from a shelterbelt: Schoolyards Treeless neighborhoods, especially near the edge of town Shopping, business and industrial centers Airports In Minnesota, winter winds blow from the northwest most of the time. For that reason, trees are planted north and west of the area they protect. In an open area put the farthest row of trees 100 feet (eastern Minnesota) to 175 feet (western Minnesota) upwind of buildings so that snow drifts in the yard, not around the buildings. When it is mature, the tallest trees in the belt are at least two times the height of the buildings they protect. To plant a shelterbelt, you need land. Unless the land is already publicly owned, this may be your biggest expense. It is wise to get the land legally protected by buying it or getting an easement. That helps ensure that individual property owners will not cut openings in the belt or remove the lower branches of the trees. The wind howls through any opening in a shelterbelt. Imagine the snowdrifts! When you are ready to design a shelterbelt, read the University of Minnesota publication entitled Farmstead Shelterbelts-Protection Against Wind and Snow. It is available from your Minnesota Extension Service office. It walks you through the process of planning a shelterbelt. Also seek the advice of your local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) or Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) office. They can help you plan your shelterbelt, sample the soil, choose types of trees and shrubs to plant, and plan for care of the trees. For a fee, some will even do the planting for you.

A shelterbelt is one or more rows of trees and shrubs planted upwind of an area or a building to protect it from winter winds and blowing snow. Shelterbelt functions include: ° Protecting people   from cold winter   winds by reducing   wind velocities ° Reducing snow   drifting around   buildings, on   sidewalks and on   streets ° Reducing energy   needed for heating   buildings. Bonus benefits include: ° Attracting songbirds   and other wildlife ° Reducing noise and   blowing dirt ° Providing privacy   and screening   unsightly views ° Increasing the value   of property.

Shelterbelts are also commonly known as windbreaks or hedgerows.

To help your shelterbelt stay healthy and functional for generations to come, plan to include a variety of trees and shrubs. Usually all the plants in a row are the same species and rows are 20 feet apart. Within each row, plant trees 20 feet apart and shrubs 4 to 8 feet apart. Shelterbelts have up to seven rows of trees and shrubs. Typically one is made up a species of fast-growing, short-lived tree, such as hybrid poplar. In 10 to 20 years, remove the hybrid poplar row to make way for the long-lived trees. If the shelterbelt is near a home, school or workplace, consider the view. You may decide to enhance the scenic quality of the shelterbelt by choosing a shrub species for its attractive spring flowers, winter color or crop of berries as much as for its ability to catch snow. A community shelterbelt requires an ongoing commitment to care that must outlast the people who plant it. Plan and budget for scheduled maintenance. Typical Shelterbelt Maintenance Plan Activity Year   Cultivate between rows 1-3     Control weeds around trees   1-6     Plant groundcover such as grass between rows   4     Maintain mulch around trees   1-6     Remove hybrid poplar row   10     Prune out double leaders and weak branches on trees   all     Inspect for diseases and other problems   all   Shelterbelt, 8 years old, protects an Olivia neighborhood. Katie Himanga

Energy Conservation Landscaping Trees shade our homes in summer and shelter us from harsh winter winds. Estimates indicate that in Minnesota, strategically placed shade trees could reduce an air conditioning bill by up to 25% and a windbreak could reduce annual fuel bills by up to 10 to 20%. A treecanopied neighborhood is cooler in the summer and winter winds are cut in half. When summer temperatures are cooler, fewer air pollutants form. Thus, trees create more comfortable and cleaner places for people to live. The most critical actions for planting for energy conservation are: Shade west and east windows Avoid trees south of windows Create windbreaks Increase tree canopy. Shade west and east windows. Give highest priority to planting shade trees due west of west windows. Planting shade trees due east of east windows is second priority. Select a tree that can be planted within twenty feet of the window and will grow at least ten feet taller than the window. When space permits, use as many trees as needed to create a continuous planting along all major west and east facing windows. Avoid trees south of windows. Contrary to intuition, the worst place to have a tree from an energysaving perspective is out in the yard south of a home. In summer when the sun is high in the sky at midday, the shadow of a tree falls directly under the tree and entirely misses a home to its north. In winter, however, the shadow of the same tree will fall on the house throughout most of the day. To avoid shading south windows, any trees south of the home should be located at least twice their mature height away from the house. Prune lower branches of trees near south windows. Any trees on the southwest or southeast sides of the home should be pruned as they grow to remove their lower branches to allow more winter sun through; however, lower branches on trees northwest of the home are desirable to create the most shade in late afternoon. Large deciduous trees very close to the south side of the building can have their lower branches removed to allow more sun to reach the building in winter. Four 25 foot tall trees effectively shade the west and east windows of this one-story home as shown here at 3 p.m. in July.

No shade tree? Blame not the sun but yourself. Old Chinese Proverb Information for this section is from Save Energy With Trees prepared in cooperation by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry; the University of Minnesota; and the Minnesota Department of Public Service. Margaret (Peggy) Sand, author. Illustrations are from Energy Saving Landscapes: A Minnesota Homeowner’s Guide. William W. Weaver, illustrator.

Trees are nature’s air conditioners.

Use solar friendly trees. For greatest benefit, a shade tree should have a broad crown of dense foliage during the hottest times of the year. It should lose its leaves just as the thermostat kicks on the furnace in the fall, and in winter its branches should be sparse. Trees that best meet these characteristics are the most “solar friendly.” The amount of sun blocked by a mature deciduous tree in summer ranges from about 60 to 90%. A mature tree’s branches and twigs typically block 30 to 50% of the sun—a significant reduction in beneficial free solar energy over our long winters. The most solar friendly species inherently have denser foliage and a more open winter form, giving them a good summer to winter ratio of crown density. This is true of trees with compound leaves that shed more of their branching structure each fall. Examples are Kentucky coffeetree, walnut, and ash which have moderately dense summer shade with sparse winter branching. Other desirable trees, such as sugar and red maple, have denser summer shade with moderately open winter branching. The foliage of solar friendly trees should be there when it is needed most. For a northern climate, this typically favors trees that leaf out moderately late in spring and drop their leaves fairly early in fall. The worst choices are non-native deciduous trees, such as Norway maple, that may wait until November to lose their leaves, and those oaks that retain their leaves through the winter. Species that naturally grow over a large geographic area may have many different cultivars that vary significantly in the timing of leaf drop. For example, some types of red maple lose their leaves a month later than others. Thus, whenever possible, select trees from northern seed sources. Choose the right tree for the right place. Generally, the bigger the tree, the more environmental benefits it provides. Select a tree that will grow as big as growing space permits. Remember, a tree needs space for both branches and roots. Since the most beneficial locations for shade trees are close to the east and west sides of buildings, the best trees will be strong, resisting disease and pests and damage from storms. A broader crowned tree (right) casts a much larger shadow than a pyramidal shaped tree of the same height (left).

Many species are inherently more appropriate for energy-conservation plantings. Others are not desirable as strategic shade trees for various reasons: because they keep their leaves in winter (such as many oaks), because their branching is too sparse (such as a ginkgo), because their form is too narrow to cast the best shadows in the summer and their branches too dense in winter (like the Greenspire linden), or because they grow too large and weak wooded to be planted very close to a building such as silver maple and cotton wood). Trees are more healthy and vigorous when they are well suited to the site’s soil and climatic conditions, so check with a local forestry or landscape professional before making your selection. Plant trees as wind shelters. Trees are ideal wind filters. They are large, with branches and twigs which bend in the wind, gently breaking its force with minimal turbulence. A shadow of relatively calm air extends downwind from a windbreak about ten times the height of the trees. Nothing people can build could be as cost-effective as trees in sheltering homes and neighborhoods from the onslaught of harsh winter winds. Plant all dense trees upwind. For maximum wind protection, trees need to be dense enough, tall enough, and there needs to be enough of them. The ideal windbreak tree is a dense evergreen whose branches extend from ground level to a height at least twice as tall as the building being sheltered. Windbreak trees need to be clustered together to reduce wind going between the trees. The most efficient way to do this is to plant trees in rows perpendicular to the primary winter wind direction. This usually means planting trees along the west and north sides of the property.

Planted strategically around a home, shade trees can reduce air conditioning bills by up to 25%. A windbreak can reduce annual fuel bills by up to 10 to 20%. A neighborhood with a canopy of trees is cooler and less polluted in the summer. Winter winds are cut in half.

Trees in a shelterbelt are typically planted at a spacing of 20 feet apart within rows and 20 feet between rows. On an open site, a row of shrubs is typically planted 50 feet upwind of the trees or 20 feet downwind of the trees. Seek the guidance of someone trained in shelterbelt design. A good design insures that a shelterbelt solves problems rather than creates problems.

Since the wind will increase some at the edges of the windbreak, not only should the trees be taller, but the windbreak should be much longer than the buildings being sheltered. To keep dense branches to the ground, evergreens need full sun which means they must not be overcrowded. Select windbreak trees from the recommended list that are best adapted to the site’s growing conditions so they will be tall, yet dense. Create a windbreak in a residential yard. A home on a site of a quarteracre or so should have a room for a windbreak along its west and/or north side. The same principles apply as in a community shelterbelt, but less space means fewer rows of trees. Giving evergreens plenty of sun to keep their lower branches is particularly important. With a one or two row windbreak, as long as the evergreens receive direct sun on the outside of the row, the spacing between the trees should be about ten feet apart. On smaller sites, the wind-break may need to be placed closer to the home. Then, the row of evergreens to the west needs to be shortened so no evergreens are south or south-west of any windows. Increase tree canopy cover in urban neighborhoods. Smaller residential yards just do not have space for large dense evergreen trees whose spread may reach thirty feet. However, remember the canopy of tall trees throughout the neighborhood also provides significant shelter. Imagine what you see of your neighborhood from an airplane: your goal should be to have mature trees covering at least half the surface when seen from above. These can be a variety of trees, placed to the west, north, and east of homes, shading pavement, with as few trees as possible in yards south of homes. Yard and boulevard trees effectively shade the east and west sides of the house, evergreens help block northwesterly winds and trees shade the parked care in the driveway.