Soil compaction is a major cause of tree decline in urban areas. Compaction occurs when a force, such as feet, vehicles, and even water from some sprinkler systems, creates pressure on the soil surface and compresses the soil particles. This …
How to Correct Excessive Soil Moisture and Drainage Problems
Soils with excessive moisture have poor aeration because pore spaces are filled with water. Roots tend to grow near the surface in such soils. With poorly anchored roots, a tree is susceptible to wind throw. A tree may survive for …
Soil Volume and Rooting Space When Planting Trees
To ensure adequate stability and to allow a tree to grow to its potential size, a tree’s root system must have adequate soil volume in which to develop. There is a direct relationship between soil volume and crown volume. When …
Selecting the Proper Tools for Urban Tree Planting
The proper tools for preparing the planting area depend on the size of the tree, the type of root system, the site, and the condition of the soil. The most common hand tool for planting trees is the shovel, but …
Urban Tree Planting (Part 1): Site Selection
Site selection is the first, important step to make when planting trees in an urban environment. Quality sites have a higher probability of supporting long-lived and healthy trees, whereas poorly chosen sites produce poorer-quality trees. Urban environments are challenging for …
What types of evergreen trees can provide wind protection to my house?
Any evergreen that is well-suited to your site’s soils and growing zone can serve as a windbreak. Some of the most common evergreen trees used for windbreaks in the U.S. include pines, spruces, junipers, and cedars.
A note here on …
Tree Planting in Cities (Part 3): Tree Selection & Planting Guidelines
Millionth Tree Planting Celebration, Whatcom Conservation District.
After selecting a good site to plant an urban tree and then preparing the site for planting, the next step is tree selection and planting.
Tree Selection
Selecting healthy tree stock is …
Trees for Energy Conservation Table of Contents
Assistance for Urban Tree Care
Public sources of tree care and energy conservation assistance:
Federal, state, and local sources of assistance
Several federal agencies are charged with assisting the public with improving tree care and energy conservation. The United States Forest Service (USFS), provides technical …
Urban Heat Island
Urban heat island effect over a city relative to buildings and greenspaces with trees.
The conversion of rural land for urban use is referred to as urbanization (Miller, 1997). Seventy-four percent (203 million) of the U.S. population in 1989 (Frey, …