[CANUFNET] Looking for hard surface planting experiences/successes

[Michael Richardson]

Barriers to successful planting include:

- Too much water;
- Too little water;
- Deicing salt;
- Lack of organic matter;
- Wrong tree for site;
- Lack of space;
- Lack of funding;
- People;
etc.

There are lots of good books concerning trees and urban sites but very few
mention the important secret: site inspection and assessment and planning
is needed by competent people prior to specifying plants, let alone
planting.  The possession of a professional stamp, certification, or
qualification does not necessarily mean that the staff are experts for the
specific task.  There are failed planting attempts across southern Ontario
municipalities; the cause of the failure is often due to lack of
knowledgeable assessment planning.

The question we should all be asking is: do we spend our money planting
many trees and hoping for the best, or do we spend our money on a few
trees and ensure they have the planning, space, and after care, to allow
them to thrive and reach useful sizes.

Shigo says Touch Trees; I suggest that you cannot plan for trees without
Touching Soils at the initial phase.

M


> Dear urban forestry colleagues,
>
> We are working on a project with our local Business Improvement
> Association
> in Ottawa to examine the barriers around successful hard surface tree
> establishment along our main street, and how to overcome them. We have
> completed a cursory literature review, but with limited data, I am
> reaching
> out to the UF community with hopes that some of you will be willing to
> share your anecdotal experiences on what you feel are the best ways to
> plant trees successfully in hard surfaces. We recognize that soil volume
> is
> a significant barrier, and will be making recommendations to increase
> this,
> where possible, and incorporate the use of soil cells, if feasible. For
> situations where this is not an option, what are the next best
> alternatives?
>
> If any of you have experience in your areas with hard surface planting, I
> would appreciate learning from you!
>
> Please feel free to contact me directly if you prefer:
> astrid.nielsen at dendronforestry.ca
>
> Thank you,
>
> Astrid
> ___________________________________
> *Astrid Nielsen, *MFC
> Ontario Registered Professional Forester
> ISA Certified Arborist®
> ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified
>
> astrid.nielsen at dendron <astrid.nielsen at dendronforestry.ca>forestry.ca
> <astrid.nielsen at dendronforestry.ca>
> +1.613.805.WOOD (9663)
>
> www.dendronforestry.ca
>