cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/998526
Shamelessly stolen from u/OccamsLoppers on Reddit.
PS: I’m an arborist who creates tree planting plans for a living, let me know if you need advice!
Hi I study forestry and I’d like to know if there’s a species of tree you don’t like. The only species I have negative feelings for is Ailanthus altissima.
I don’t think there are any I hate universally— every tree is great in its right habitat. For my local area I think silver birch, Betula pendula would be my least favorite. Everyone loves planting them but they’re so poorly suited for our climate they just die.
What’s it about your area that it’s not doing well? I like that it’s basically the cow of trees. It has a white rind with dark spots and it provides you with a refreshing beverage in spring.
I have a dogwood in my front yard that needs a proper trim. I’m quite handy but I wonder what you think I should do hire an arborist or just research myself and try to use a light touch while trimming branches?
Worthwhile to learn for yourself even if you hire someone—bad pruning is ubiquitous in the tree care industry, even by so-called professionals. Keep in mind that trees don’t need pruning for their own sake. So before doing any pruning you want to have a clear goal in mind. A young tree that you can reach from the ground is easy enough for a layman to prune if you do your research. If it’s bigger I might hire someone but ask questions and ensure they have the proper certifications: ISA in the US.
How do I pick species that can handle the current climate in my region and the predicted one if shit really hits the fan?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardiness_zone
Plant things that are right in your zone instead of stuff from a more Northern zone, this way when zones shift they’ll survive longer as they’ll be one zone off.
Great question! There is a lot of research going into this right now so it’s not a solved issue yet but the easiest strategy is to identify a future climate analog—an area that today closely resembles your future climate, and learn what trees do well in that area.
Make sure to take note of cold hardiness. Since young trees are most sensitive to cold and the future climate isn’t quite here yet, you don’t want to lose your trees to an unusually cold winter, which can still happen at this point.
Another approach is to look at native tree ranges and focus on those that grow in your area but also in hotter and drier climates. Avoid species where you are at or close to the southern extent of their range. This might require more experimentation since not all wild species are suitable for urban environments.
I also expect some great data driven tools to come out on this topic soon—I know Cal Poly is working on one for California but it’s not ready yet.
Thanks for the detailed answer! I’ll have a look. Hard to predict the future here as I’m in the north of the Alps and currently warmed by the gulf stream. But I guess oaks are native here as well as in Italy so they would be a fit. A slow growing one, but beautiful as well.
Why does our HOA (who says the city requires it) make us plant a tree between the sidewalk and the street so that in the next 10-20 years the sidewalk is all fucked from the roots, and low branches make it annoying for anyone over 5ft to use the sidewalk?
You do have to be careful about pruning young trees. And also yes… I will keep the branches trimmed. I’m not the problem I’m annoyed with, it’s the others (HOA included) who do not keep their trees trimmed. I typically go for runs on the sidewalk and it’s very annoying but also great limbo practice
The idea is that the trees planted will provide benefits that far exceed the costs of pruning or sidewalk repair. These costs can also be minimized with proper species selection, though in my experience HOAs typically lack the expertise to make good decisions on that topic.
This study found that for every dollar spent on tree installation, maintenance, repairs, etc, $5 of public value was returned. Seems like a good investment! https://www.fs.usda.gov/psw/publications/mcpherson/psw_2016_mcpherson004.pdf
Unfortunately, the benefits of trees are often intangible and dispersed across the community, while the costs can be more immediately felt in some cases. Ideally, your town’s urban forestry program should bear these costs so that they can be more evenly distributed like the benefits, but the political environment in some areas does not always allow for enough budget.
How does one determine a good species to plant between the road and the sidewalk? I assume slow growing, do some trees tend to root deep down more than “out” and on the surface which is what damages sidewalks faster?
This is really interesting, thanks! I had no idea. Our HOA does have a list of approved and disallowed trees but I don’t know the extent of it. Luckily we were able to plant a tree that is local to the area and is a small tree when fully grown. And I do really love that there are lots of trees in the neighborhood.
It’s funny you mention sidewalk repair because I feel like I’ve ever only seen that in one place I’ve lived. Highly anecdotal, I know. Hopefully in several years when the trees are more mature and the sidewalk has issues, the city will fix it.
I don’t have direct experience with clumping bamboo (it’s not really a tree exactly) but for most perennials plants, fall is the best time to transplant.
mmm canooy
In a century or two ofk…
Well, depends on your climate but in my area you can start to get some shade in 10-20 years depending on species.
I currently build a house. To get a permit for the building I have to plant and maintain(!) trees in the garden for the next 20 years - one large one (like beech or maple) or two smaller ones (like pear or hawthorn) for every 200 m2 of land. Only specific locally common trees are allowed. If I don’t have the trees I will be fined.
I mean that’s not much but it is a start. Trees should be mandatory.
I was just looking at Google maps street view from previous years in my neighborhood. There used to be trees in front of almost every house, now it’s less than half. It’s really frustrating. The street used to look so much lovelier.
Get out there and talk to your neighbors! In my city we are trying to form a volunteer committee to plant trees in front yards in every neighborhood. It lowers the barrier of entry if people can have the trees planted, and if they know who to turn to for advice on care. Some local governments may have programs or arborists who can help, and others have tree planting non-profits you could try collaborating with.
Agreed! Sounds like an interesting system. Many areas require trees planted as part of development but it’s great that they specify size and a long maintenance timeline. In my area the builders have no responsibility after sale and so they plant tiny ornamental trees or inappropriate species. As a result, many new developments will never have the level of canopy needed to keep things cool.
Change your search engine to Ecosia. You’ll plant dozens of trees a year!
