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Hamline Midway Neighborhood Inside This Issue: Community Profile Hamline-Midway 1 ? Mystery Tree ? 2 Member Profile 2 Clip and Save B.O.B. 7 Replacing The Fallen Ash 12 Contacts & Calendar 15 Gravelbed Photos many approaches 11 A Volunteer Spotlight 9 Dispel-a-Myth Affording live trees... 10 In light of the recent resurgence of Dutch elm disease, severe storms and drought events, and the imminent infestation of the emerald ash borer (EAB), residents of the City of St. Paul have lost and will lose many trees in their yards, along their boulevards, in parks and natural areas, and in other areas where trees are an important part of our natural, social, and economic environment. In May 2009, an EAB infestation was discovered in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. That summer, a single EAB infested tree was found on the west edge of the Hamline Midway neighborhood which is immediately adjacent (to the east) of the main EAB infestation. That’s all it took to motivate members of the Hamline Midway Environ- mental Group (HMEG), an affiliate of the Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC), to reactivate the HMEG Tree Team to devise a plan to proactively address this serious pest. A Little History on the HMEG Tree Team Education and outreach on planting and caring for trees is what the HMEG Tree Team is all about. In 2005, the Hamline Midway Coalition was awarded funding through Tree Trust from the Home De- pot Foundation. The HMEG Tree Team established a tree planting program resulting in 70 native trees planted throughout the Hamline Midway (HM) neighborhood, primarily on residential properties. This successful project served as a catalyst to bring community members of all ages, backgrounds, and affiliations together with a focus on trees and a healthy environment. A network of expert advisors, volunteers, and interested residents was established during that project and provided a solid foundation from which the 2010 project was implemented. The 2010 Tree Team Project Beginning in the fall of 2009, the HMEG Tree Team prepared a planning document de- scribing the project goals, objectives and approach that would be adopted for funding proposals. The primary objectives were to provide the opportunity for residents of Hamline Midway to plant trees on residential property, either directly or through volun- teer or financial support, and to assess the ash population in the HM neighborhood. The main goal was to connect people to their environment and to each other in order to build stronger relationships within the neighborhood. Advocate Winter 2011 Page 1 Community Profile By: Barb Spears, Urban Forester and Member of the Hamline Midway Environmental Group; [email protected] ; 651-328-0463. Residential Ash Tree Inventory and Tree Planting Project 2010 Continued on page 3 Community Profile W i n t e r 2 0 1 1 Vol. 13, No. 1
16

Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Mar 12, 2016

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Page 1: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Hamline Midway Neighborhood

Inside This Issue:

Community Profile Hamline-Midway

1

? Mystery Tree ? 2

Member Profile 2

Clip and Save B.O.B. 7

Replacing The Fallen Ash 12

Contacts & Calendar 15

Gravelbed Photos

many approaches 11

A Volunteer Spotlight 9

Dispel-a-Myth

Affording live trees... 10

In light of the recent resurgence of Dutch elm disease, severe storms and drought events, and the imminent infestation of the emerald ash borer (EAB), residents of the City of St. Paul have lost and will lose many trees in their yards, along their boulevards, in parks and natural areas, and in other areas where trees are an important part of our natural, social, and economic environment. In May 2009, an EAB infestation was discovered in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul. That summer, a single EAB infested tree was found on the west edge of the Hamline Midway neighborhood which is immediately adjacent (to the east) of the main EAB infestation. That’s all it took to motivate members of the Hamline Midway Environ-mental Group (HMEG), an affiliate of the Hamline Midway Coalition (HMC), to reactivate the HMEG Tree Team to devise a plan to proactively address this serious pest. A Little History on the HMEG Tree Team Education and outreach on planting and caring for trees is what the HMEG Tree Team is all about. In 2005, the Hamline Midway Coalition was awarded funding through Tree Trust from the Home De-pot Foundation. The HMEG Tree Team established a tree planting program resulting in 70 native trees planted throughout the Hamline Midway (HM) neighborhood, primarily on residential properties. This successful project served as a catalyst to bring community members of all ages, backgrounds, and affiliations together with a focus on trees and a healthy environment. A network of expert advisors, volunteers, and interested residents was established during that project and provided a solid foundation from which the 2010 project was implemented. The 2010 Tree Team Project Beginning in the fall of 2009, the HMEG Tree Team prepared a planning document de-scribing the project goals, objectives and approach that would be adopted for funding proposals. The primary objectives were to provide the opportunity for residents of Hamline Midway to plant trees on residential property, either directly or through volun-teer or financial support, and to assess the ash population in the HM neighborhood. The main goal was to connect people to their environment and to each other in order to build stronger relationships within the neighborhood.

Advocate • Winter 2011 Page 1

Community Profile

By: Barb Spears,

Urban Forester and

Member of the Hamline Midway

Environmental Group;

[email protected];

651-328-0463.

Residential Ash Tree Inventory and Tree Planting Project 2010

Continued on page 3

Community Profile Winter

2011

Vol. 13, No. 1

Page 2: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Cy Kosel, City of Saint Paul By: Gary Johnson

Page 2

Mystery Tree By: Rebecca Koetter

Clues: A male selection of this cultivar was released from the Morden Research Station in Morden, Mani-

toba. Its Asian genetics have created an excellent replanting option for Minnesota due to its cold hardi-

ness. Additionally, this species has benefits similar to its native counterparts demonstrating that it can grow

in a wide variety of soil types and tolerates 5.5 to 8.0 soil pH. The dense, oval canopy of this tree makes it a

very attractive pre or re-forestation option.

So, the question is:

“What is a cultivated variety of ash that is showing

resistance to emerald ash borer attack?”

Member Profile

Winter 2011 • Advocate

F ind the answer on

Page 14.

Mystery Tree

When Cy Kosel began working for the City of Saint Paul thirty-three years ago, probably the last position he thought he would eventually hold was Natural Resource Manager in the City of Saint Paul’s Department of Parks and Recrea-tion. What he did know was that he wanted to work in the Parks Department and was willing to make any move, take on any new job responsibility that would allow him to grow with the City and learn everything there was to know about parks and recreation management. So he started as a laborer, maintaining Saint Paul’s parks and park facilities, and has eventually become the manager of both its trees and its city foresters. “I’ve never felt that my background in supervision and management, not urban forestry, put me at a disadvantage be-cause Saint Paul has some of the finest arborists and natural resource specialists as our employees. I’m fortunate to have not only bright and enthusiastic young professionals caring for our trees, but many experienced arborists that still take pride in their work.” Cy is quick to acknowledge his employees by name and to credit them with the success of the program. Saint Paul has approximately 150,000 street trees, which account for about 80% of all tree care operations. The other 20% of the tree care efforts are directed toward the trees in parks and other open spaces. The crew of 27 tree work-ers and five forestry and natural resource staff are constantly responding to citizen requests, planting new trees, clean-ing up after storms damage the trees and most recently, strategizing actions for managing emerald ash borer. In Cy’s opinion, the most pressing issues that are impacting urban forestry in Saint Paul would include emerald ash

borer management, increasing tree diversity and canopy cover, and engaging private citizens more in the management of their own trees, which effectively comprise the majority of canopy cover in the city. In a parallel opinion, Cy feels the most important role that MnSTAC plays in Minnesota urban forestry is one of promoting the best and most current information available to its members through networking opportunities such as the monthly forums and conference partnerships with the Minnesota Society of Arboriculture and

the Shade Tree Short Course. Although it may seem that Cy is always working, he does make time for his family. Raising their children, helping coach their baseball teams, and escaping with his wife on the walking and bicycling trails of Saint Paul are the main diversions from his daily role as Saint Paul’s manager of trees, not that he ever tires of that role.

Phot

o: G

ary

John

son

Page 3: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Neighborhood events to

provide information about

trees, tree care and EAB.

Photo: Tanner Larsen

An unpaid intern from the University of Minnesota spent several weeks researching funding opportunities to purchase trees. The Coughlan Companies, Inc. Community Giving Program did not provide cash, but donated 6 each of 6 titles of tree-themed K-4 children’s books in both English and Spanish valued at $670. One set of these books was given to the Hamline Midway Library and the others to the greater St. Paul Public Library system. Major funding was provided by the Community Organization Partnership Program of the St. Paul City Council and the McKnight Foundation through the Hamline Midway Coalition. Donations later came from Hamline Midway Neighbors for Peace, generous residents, and through fundraising events sponsored by Borders (the bookstore chain) and Ten Thousand Villages. All told the Tree Team had approximately $4,900 to purchase trees, educational materials and to cover pro-ject-related expenses. With funding secured to purchase trees and with support from the Hamline Midway Coalition and the Hamline Midway Environmental Group, the Tree Team could pro-ceed with the project. What follows are the steps or processes used to carry out this project. They are provided here in hopes that others will follow in our footsteps:

Formally sought an intern through local college and neighbor contacts to help co-ordinate the residential ash tree inventory. Without an intern dedicated to this, the residential ash tree inventory would not have happened,

Determined upcoming neighborhood newsletter deadlines for project promotion and volunteer recruitment,

Participated in neighborhood events to provide information about trees, tree care and EAB; the overall tree project; and to recruit volunteers:

o MSA/ISA Minnesota Chapter Tree Climbing Championship and Festival of Trees held at Newell Park located in the Hamline Midway neighborhood

o Hamline Midway Spring Festival also held in Newell Park. Hamline Midway Elders Ice Cream Social

o Hamline Midway Bugs n’ Bikes Tour part of the Parade of Community Gar-dens. The Horton Park stop focused on trees, tree care and EAB.

Created a special e-mail address [email protected] for project communication.

Support from the Hamline Midway Coalition and the Hamline Midway Environmental Group came in many forms, including:

HMC staff:

o Grant writing and submission o Fiscal agent for grants and donations o Meeting and training room space o Newsletter articles o Clipboards and safety vests (donated by a local business)

Advocate • Winter 2011

Hamline Midway (continued from page 1)

Page 3

Ten Thousand Villages,

Benefit information table.

Photo: Barb Spears.

Continued on next page

Page 4: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Page 4

Hamline Midway (continued)

Winter 2011 • Advocate

HMEG members: o Created a shared Google Docs account where all project-related docu-

ments were stored, accessed, and edited by invited members o Created a new logo and signage o Created and donated a table cloth for event tables o Created literature and give-away items for event visitors o Created a Facebook page and blog to share information.

The Residential Ash Tree Inventory An unpaid intern from Metro State University (and resident of the Hamline Midway neighborhood!) received college credit to coordinate the residential ash tree inventory. After many planning meetings at a local coffeehouse a strategy was devised:

Purpose: To gain information on the overall ash population and location of ash trees in the Hamline Midway neighborhood in order to develop a strategic ap-proach for placing newly planted trees on residential properties. Build community by engaging community members of all ages, backgrounds and affiliations in a posi-tive activity that focuses on trees and a healthy environment.

Goals:

o Determine extent of ash population in the neighborhood o Identify areas of potential greatest tree loss due to EAB o Identify possible planting spaces on residential property o Develop a strategy to placing newly planted trees

Approach:

o Meet with the City of St. Paul Forestry staff to obtain current ash tree in-ventory data for the HM neighborhood - ash is 17% of HM public spaces

o Review data and aerial photographs to assess overall tree cover o Determine data elements and methodology for conducting a residential ash

tree inventory and create simple data form for handwritten data collection. Data to be collected: Volunteer(s) Street Name, Street Number Multi-family dwelling Total number of trees on a residential property (as defined) Number of ash on residential property Number of ash uncertain on residential property Possible large tree planting space Notes: Anything volunteers wish to share

Recruit neighborhood and other volunteers to collect the data

www.facebook.com/pages/

Hamline-Midway-Environmental-

Group/118209651525271

Barb Spears - the inventory is

underway!

Photo: Ben Spears.

E ngage community

members in an

activity that fo-

cuses on trees! Barb Spears

Page 5: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

o Volunteer Recruitment HMEG members One-on-one recruitment of friends and neighbors Festival of Trees and Newell Park Hamline Midway Coalition Spring Festival HMC newsletter notice, HMEG group, blog, Facebook Flyer posted in coffeehouses and other locations 4H members, Hamline University students Block Clubs, Garden Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts Tree Care Advisors and Master Gardeners Churches, businesses, and other community organizations

o Volunteer Training and Safety Two classes offered on ash tree ID, data collection,

and safety: o Volunteers self-select blocks to inventory from

a large map of neighborhood with streets/blocks indicated

o Handouts and materials: Each volunteer re-ceived a loaner clipboard with the following materials: survey guide, data forms, project FAQ, small neighborhood map, tree ID key, ash tree look-alikes, tree fact sheet, and benefits of trees

Safety o The local St. Paul Police station was notified of

the inventory and given information should someone call them

o Work in pairs in unfamiliar areas (more fun and faster too!)

o Extra info sheets to hand out on the project if questioned

o No binoculars o Stay on public property (sidewalks and alleys) o Do not contact the homeowner unless they are

known or are encountered while conducting the inventory

o Wear safety vest o Inventory Timeline: June 1 through August 1 to collect data o Volunteer thank you and recognition

General thoughts and concerns: o Not likely to collect data on entire neighborhood – that’s okay - every bit

of data collected is useful. o If sections of the neighborhood are identified that will be more severely

impacted by loss of ash, target tree planting there. o Residents may not want us to know they have an ash tree. They may be

concerned that they will be “targeted” in some way, fined, or be asked to have their ash tree removed.

Advocate • Winter 2011

Hamline Midway (continued)

Page 5

Tree identification training, walking the

neighborhood with Dave Hanson.

Photo: Barb Spears

Continued on next page

A fun, rewarding and

important project. Barb Spears

Page 6: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Page 6

Hamline Midway (continued)

Winter 2011 • Advocate

Over 25 residents (including 2 small children and 2 dogs) and 2 TCA volunteers were trained in ash tree identification and inven-tory data collection. One volunteer contributed by entering the inventory data into the shared Google document. The others selected the blocks they wanted to inventory. They completed the entire Hamline Midway neighborhood and a map of the areas completed was created on Google maps. The volunteers counted all the trees on residential properties, the number of ash on each property, and noted the availability of a tree planting space. Dur-ing June and July the volunteers counted over 6,700 trees and approximately 680 ash trees indicating an ash population of about 10%; less than the 17% ash population on public spaces as inventoried by the City of St. Paul.

Tree Care Advisors (TCAs) Jim Bukowski and Mimi Hottinger helped with the actual in-ventory. Dave Hanson, UMN Tree Care Advisor Program Coordinator, assisted with one of the formal training sessions and helped connect TCAs Bruce Allen, Sue Hanson, Pam Hartley, and Barb Schmitt to the overall project.

The Free Tree Distribution The HMEG Tree Team decided to offer primarily native large shade tree species that will replace the benefits that will be lost as the ash are removed due to EAB. The inventory identified 140 single family home properties that had at least one ash tree and a tree planting space large enough to accommodate a large shade tree. A letter was sent directly to these residents who were given two weeks to request a tree before the trees were offered to residents of the Hamline Midway neighborhood at large. The trees were provided free of charge but donations were gladly accepted and generously provided. On Friday, October 1, 5 species of native trees from Out-back Nursery were delivered to the HMC building where they were unloaded by vol-unteers and stored inside overnight. On Saturday, October 2 over 61 trees were picked-up by residents (or delivered by volunteers); free mulch was provided by the City of St. Paul; and, two Tree Care Advisors, Pam Hartley and Diane Barber, pro-vided information on EAB, tree planting and care, and provided a copy of the “Tree Owner’s Manual” to each tree recipient. There are funds remaining and the HMEG Tree Team plans to offer trees again in 2011!

Elements For Success This was a fun, rewarding and important project for the resi-dents of the Hamline Midway neighborhood. This project provided an opportunity to positively respond to the threat of the emerald ash borer, understand the potential impact of that threat, and learn how to better care for existing trees as well as newly planted trees. Major elements for a suc-cessful project such as this include the dedication of a few people to see the project through from beginning to end, the support of others in the community (such as the HMC, HMEG, etc.) to provide needed resources, and volunteers willing to do their part (big or small).

Tree Care Advisor Pam Hartley

discussing tree planting and the

Tree Owners Manual with a

Saint Paul Resident.

Photo: Barb Spears.

The Hamline Midway neighborhood block preferences selected

by the volunteers prior to starting the inventory.

Step

h H

anke

rson

Page 7: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

The first bonafide case of bur oak blight (BOB), confirmed by Dr. Tom Harrington, has been identified in Minnesota. Previously, symptoms of BOB were reported to occur in portions of southern Minnesota, however, the disease was then called Tubakia leafspot and was cited to be caused by the fungus, Tubakia dryina. Since then, Dr. Harrington, Professor at Iowa State University, has completed DNA and pathogencity test-ing that confirms this disease is caused by a new, and yet unnamed, species of Tubakia, and he has named the disease bur oak blight (BOB). It is not clear if this new species of Tubakia is a recent arri-val to this region or if a shift in climate (more early-season rain events) have made this disease more noticeable over the last two decades. To date, BOB is known to occur from eastern Nebraska to central Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin, and it appears to be spread across all of Iowa Plant pathologists and arborists have been on the lookout for the new BOB Tubakia species in Min-nesota, particularly in central and more northern counties. Jill Pokorny, plant pathologist with the US Forest Service located symptomatic bur oak trees in Hennepin, Mille Lacs and Sherburne counties, collected leaf samples, and identified the fungus, Tubakia, to be present. To determine if it was the new species of Tubakia that causes BOB, she submitted samples to Dr. Harrington for further labora-tory testing. All of the samples tested positive for BOB. Jill Pokorny predicts, “As we continue to investigate symptomatic bur oak trees and more samples are tested, it is expected that BOB will be found in additional Minnesota counties.” Symptoms BOB occurs only on bur oaks. Leaf symptoms typically first appear in late July or August, however, symptoms may show up by early July (most likely as a result of fre-quent rainfall). Infected leaves develop necrotic (brown) lesions that are wedge-shaped and often delimited by leaf veins (Figure 1). It is also common for the leaf veins, themselves, to turn brown (Figure 2). Individual lesions may coalesce and cause large areas of the leaf to turn brown, resulting in an overall wilted or scorched appearance to the leaves. Smaller brown lesions may also be present, but are less common. During the summer, black, pimple-like fruiting structures of the fungus form along the leaf veins and petioles and can be easily seen with the aid of 10X magnifying lens. Leaf symptoms are usually more severe on the bottom half of the affected tree’s crown, but over time, symp-toms may spread throughout the crown. A unique feature of BOB is that some infected leaves will remain on the tree during the winter (healthy bur oak trees shed all of their leaves in the fall). It is impor-tant to note, however, that not all infected leaves will remain attached; some leaves will drop off during the growing season and some will be blown off by winter winds. But the fact that some leaves, even a small number, are retained over the winter is an indication that BOB

Advocate • Winter 2011

Bur Oak Blight (BOB) – There’s a New Kid in Town

Page 7

Jill D. Pokorny, Plant Pathologist, US Forest Service

Figure 2. Leaf veins often turn brown. Large lesions may

cause the leaf to appear wilted or scorched.

Source: Jill Pokorny, US Forest Service

Figure 1. Bur oak leaves exhibiting large, wedge-shaped lesions, often delimited by veins.

Page 8: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Page 8

Bur Oak Blight (BOB) (continued)

Winter 2011 • Advocate

may be present. Also, if leaves are blown off by winter winds, BOB-infected leaf petioles will remain in-tact. Fruiting bodies that form in late fall on infected leaf petioles are believed to be the overwintering stage of the fungus. BOB appears to be a slow spreading disease, particularly as it relates to disease spread from tree to tree. It remains a mystery as to why BOB does not spread more rapidly because the spores that cause BOB are produced in great abundance and are spread by rain. Within an individual tree, the disease tends to intensify year to year, generally starting in the bottom of the crown and moving upwards. If a tree is seriously affected one year, it tends to be severely affected the next year. Over time, severely affected trees may die. In Iowa, BOB has been reported to cause tree death, particularly in upland sites. Within a grove or group of bur oak trees, some trees may be severely infected while adjacent trees ap-pear healthy. This is likely due to variation in the degree of resistance individual bur oak trees possess to this disease. Management Because BOB is a late season disease, the impact on the foliage is reduced since the majority of photo-synthetic activity has already occurred for the growing season. Although most infected trees will leaf out normally the following spring, they will develop leaf symptoms by late summer, and successive years of heavy leaf damage can result in branch dieback and eventual tree death. Efforts to boost tree vigor may prolong the life of affected trees and ward off invasion by secondary pests such as two-lined chestnut borer and Armillaria root rot. Since the fungus overwinters on infected leaf petioles that remain on the tree, removal of fallen leaves is not an effective management tool. In preliminary studies, injections of the fungicide propiconazole (Alamo formulation) in early June (prior to leaf symptoms) have reduced symptom development in the fall and the following year. With further study, fungicide treatments may prove to be a valuable management tool for use on high-value landscape trees. “I’m not usually a big fan of fungicide treatments, but with this disease we are finding very good results. A single treatment may benefit the trees for several years,” Harrington says. Sample Submission Urban forestry professionals, here is your chance to have some of those mystery bur oak trees tested for BOB. Many of you have dealt with bur oaks that have eluded a positive diagnosis because they have exhibited unusual leaf symptoms and/or decline. Next year as symptoms become evident, you can sub-mit samples to the Plant Disease Clinic for diagnostic testing, for a standard processing fee.

Enclose a description of the symptoms observed, when they were first noticed and enclose a photo, if possible. Please ship samples early in the week so they arrive at the Clinic before Friday. Samples that test positive for Tubakia species and represent a new county record will be forwarded to Dr. Harrington for DNA testing to determine if the BOB Tubakia species is present. This data will assist him in developing a BOB distribution map for the Upper Midwest states. The link below will take you to an 18 minute video on the symptoms and other characteristics of BOB

http://fms.extension.iastate.edu/vod/video/2010BobPresentCIC.html?

For BOB testing: Collect branch tips with symptomatic and healthy leaves from several locations on the tree, wrap them in dry paper toweling (no plastic bags, please), and send them to:

Plant Disease Clinic Department of Plant Pathology 495 Borlaug Hall 1991 Buford Circle St. Paul, MN 55108

Page 9: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Advocate • Winter 2011

Judy Gibbs, Duluth's Urban Forestry Passion Puzzler

Page 9

Judy Gibbs, of Knife River, is a master puzzler. Amongst her many titles, master puzzler really speaks to her greatest strength, which is matching up problems with solutions, and in this case that is matching passionate people to embraceable tasks. During the past year, Judy Gibbs served as a member of Americorps, in a program created by the MN pollution Control Agency: Minnesota GreenCorps. Her role was that of Urban Forestry Specialist for the City of Duluth.

Judy’s experiences have taken her from environmental education evangelist driving around an 8-county area serving as a tailgate naturalist, to being the Duluth community environmental educator. Louise Levy calls her the ‘Marshal’ of the community forestry spirit, but Judy modestly states that she shouldn’t get all the credit. From Judy’s standpoint she is simply the ‘master puzzler’ patiently putting all the pieces together, calling upon the many great volun-teers, city and county resources as well as an extensive network of environ-mental groups and their supporters to accomplish the tasks at hand.

Through the MN GreenCorps and assistance from DNR Forestry staff, Judy was able to help the short-handed city park and forestry staff to bolster its programs with a multi-pronged attack. She was charged with preparing for impending invasive species strikes, reapplying for Tree City USA status, getting city trees pruned by volunteers, amongst other tasks. With those challenges before her, she helped build a league of citizen foresters to begin a tree inven-tory, learn about invasive pests like gypsy moth (GM) and emerald ash borer (EAB), and to prune trees. It is more work than one person can possibly do in less than a year isn't it? Not for someone who knows how to motivate, educate and train people - people that have time, talents and passions that they wish to share.

Judy strives to create situations where people can contribute. One example involved the local Home Depot and a form created by Judy, sort of an inven-tory form for volunteers to complete as they patronize parks. A mother daughter team filled out one of those forms, noting repairs to be made, paint-ing to be done, and garbage to be collected. Later, when the local Home De-pot called looking for a volunteer opportunity, Judy was able to hand over that form. The volunteers came out in force, paint brushes in hand! Judy would refer to this as “giving people the opportunity, and getting out of the way, to allow great things to happen.”

Judy has energy, passion and drive, which come from a deep sense of gratitude for what she has been given. Judy is singled out as having super powers, but Judy does not see it that way; “We can all help the city with storm water, with trees, with parks, with trails, the rose garden, trash pickup. It's just a matter of looking at the pieces in the puzzle box and putting them together. Puzzles are best done with lots of folks around the table, seeing it from all angles, bringing forth their expertise and ways of looking at the world.”

Judy was presented this spruce bowl at the Minnesota

Community Forestry Awards during the Minnesota Tree Care Conference this fall.

Photo and artist: Tom Peter: TreeGuy

www.respectfultransitions.com

A volunteer Spotlight

By: Lara Newberger

G iving people the oppor-

tunity and getting out of

the way to allow great

things to happen.

Judy Gibbs

Volunteer Spotlight

Page 10: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Reality or Myth: Communities can’t afford to plant live trees.

In Rochester, MN there are over 30,000 vacant tree planting spaces just within boulevard locations (2010 statistics). Last year 500 trees were planted and those were just to replace the 1000 that were removed in one year be-cause of poor condition, damage or disease. Most cities would like to do more, but with one tree costing between $200-300 and greater, it is a chal-lenge.

Last spring, the City of Rochester installed a gravel bed nursery to store bare root trees and to help in their replanting efforts. By using a gravel bed (a.k.a. Missouri Gravel Bed), the belief is that they can afford to have an urban forest that looks like Portland, OR, with a well-designed and well-maintained tree canopy.

Gravel bed conveniences

Developed by Professor Christopher Starbuck at the University of Missouri in the 1980s, the gravel bed is an effective and efficient way to store bare root trees until they can be planted in their permanent location. This system allows cities to purchase bare-root trees in the spring and plant them throughout the season, not just in spring months. Aside from being convenient, there are other benefits including greater tree survival when planted in the autumn. In the past when bare-rooted trees were used without a storage unit like gravel beds, their roots desiccated quickly because they were exposed to air, wind and sun. The city of Fargo, ND even went so far as to rent a refrigerated semi-truck trailer to store their bare-rooted plants in and yet mortality continued. It wasn’t until they installed a gravel bed system that mortality dropped to almost zero.

Bare root trees generally cost 25-75% less compared to container-ized or balled and burlapped trees, which is a clincher when budgets dic-tate how many trees get planted. Chris Graves, of Jim Whiting Nursery and Garden Center in Rochester explained that nurseries used to sell mostly bare root trees but the market was changed when “box stores” needed to keep trees all year long. So, they started wrapping them in burlap with wire baskets or growing them in large plastic containers, which simply are not necessary or cost too much for many planting pro-jects in cities. It may be hard to believe but nurseries and cities can plant trees cheaper than what many “box stores” sell them for!

A gravel bed is a low-tech system. In fact, you might even call it the Fred Flintstone version of forestry nurseries! It is simply a layer of gravel on the ground, roughly 12 inches deep and as wide and long as you can afford. Some communities dig a sunken bed with a ramp for access, and a drain while others use a concrete or wooden frame. Professor Starbuck has found that adding calcined clay (similar to what is used on baseball fields) or sand reduces the amount of supplemental watering. Many communities install a drip line for irrigation, while others simply break out the hose once a day to flood the bed during the growing season.

Reality or Myth: Communities can’t afford to

plant live trees in their boulevards

By Derik Olson

Page 10 Winter 2011 • Advocate

Setting up the gravel bed nursery in Rochester.

Continued on page 16

Dispel-a-Myth

I t may be hard to believe but

nurseries and cities can plant

trees cheaper than what “box

stores” sell them for!

Photo: Derik Olson

Page 11: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Community Gravel Beds: The Many Approaches...

1) Crookston’s 10ft X 30ft gravel bed prior to gravel installation. 2) Rochester’s 64ft X 55ft gravel bed constructed with 28 Jersey

Barriers. Irrigation (left of photo) is running. 3) Morris’s 10ft X 30ft raised bed. 4) Hibbing’s 32ft X 15ft raised bed, stocked and irrigation lines in

place. Constructed with reused, treated 2”X6” lumber and 3/4” plywood.

5) Hutchinson’s 12ft X 12ft raised bed, stocked and irrigated. Con-structed with treated 2”X6” and 2”X12” lumber.

6) Fargo, ND - 20ft X 50ft ramped, in-ground, concrete system. Not Pictured: Hendricks, MN installed a 32ft X 16ft system constructed with 2”X8”X16’ lumber and 4”X4” support posts.

Advocate • Winter 2011 Page 11

2

3 4

5 6

1

6

Photos:

Gary Johnson (1,2,3),

Andi Dierich (4,5,6).

The systems to the left,

constructed with treated

lumber are often lined

with a 6mil poly liner or

similar product.

Page 12: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Get used to it; if the ash trees that currently dot our lived-in landscapes aren’t replaced before or after they’ve fallen, our world will look a lot less green. The option of doing nothing is really not an option. The idea that this may be a good opportunity to replace some problems is a good idea. The identification of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Minnesota has caused quite a stir, prompt-ing reactions ranging from collective sadness at the prospect of losing another generation of leafy giants to the self-righteous accusations that urban foresters or communities are too dumb to learn from monocultured mistakes of the past. The reality of the current situation is that as soon as the grieving stops, as soon as the finger-pointing is finished, as soon as the ash that were sacrificed to the insect have left this earth, trees need to be planted to replace the lost ones. Didn’t we learn anything from Dutch elm disease? Actually, we did in spite of what some may say. When Dutch elm disease swept through the northeastern United States, streets and school yards were dominated by American elms to the tune of 90% in some cases. American elms were the preferred shade trees on many private landscapes as well. Green, white and black ash collectively do not approach that dominance on the boulevards and landscapes, but they are often over-represented. Ash trees in Minnesota communities most commonly fall into the 25-35% dominance cate-gory…still too much, but nothing like the American elms of yesteryear. The native forests of Minnesota are just as vulnerable in many parts of the state, due to prolific seed dispersal, aggressiveness (invasiveness?) of the seedlings and the adaptability of ash species to growing situations. Minnesota ranks only behind Michigan in total ash num-bers, so at least Minnesota isn’t the worst.

Still, why so many ash? Ash were overplanted in urbanized areas, no doubt. The reasons for planting ash were all very good and bio-logical. Ash are easy to propagate, from either seed or cuttings. They graft reliably onto different ash root stocks. For many people, the simple fact that they are native was a good reason to plant lots of them. They grow fast in the nurseries and are easy to transplant…so they’re cheap compared to a lot of other trees. Once in the landscape, they tend to survive in a wide variety of situations if the right spe-cies and cultivar were selected. Green ash is one of our most common riparian species (native to river bottoms) and was often selected to be planted in areas “where nothing else would grow.” White ash varieties have spec-tacular autumn colors and have proven to be some of the best performing trees on brownfield sites or abandoned lots. Black ash is a valuable lumber tree and highly valued as basket-making wood. It’s no wonder they were over-planted.

Winter 2011 • Advocate

Replacing The Fallen Ash

Page 12

By: Gary Johnson

Dept. of Forest Resources,

University of Minnesota

White ash (Fraxinus americana), variety unknown, provides an

autumn color display. Photo: Dave Hanson

Urban Forest Health

EAB... Taking generations

of ash trees.

Photo: Dave Hanson

Page 13: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Advocate • Winter 2011

The Fallen Ash (continued)

Page 13

If not ash, what? The simple answer to that question is “it depends.” Rather than focusing on which species should replace ash, consider the situation and which species – native or introduced – have the best chance of growing and living long, productive lives. Green ash never did well in highly alkaline soils, so if the new planting site is con-fined to trees that perform well in soils with a pH of 7.8 or higher, replace the ash with one of the species that thrive in “basic” soils: common hackberry (Celtis), thornless honey locust (Gleditsia), a male Amur corktree (Phellodendron) or Ken-tucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus). White and gray birches (Betula), American bass-wood (Tilia) and the Dutch elm disease-resistant elms (Ulmus) are better choices than adding another chlorotic tree to the landscape. If the fallen ash were a bit too big for their britches and were crowding power lines above and sidewalks and curbs to the left and right, select a species that is more size-appropriate for the landscape. Ohio buckeye (Aesculus), ironwood (Ostrya), musclewood (Carpinus) and Japanese tree lilac (Syringa) are much more agreeable for those spots that would really be much better off with a smaller stat-ured tree. Crabapples (Malus) should still be used, especially those with fruit that tends to linger through the winter: Sugar Tyme, David, Professor Sprenger. Haw-thorns (Crataegus) such as the thornless cockspur are friendly, tough and available throughout the state. If the ash were used in areas that tended to be wet, replace them with bicolor oaks (Quercus), river birch, a nice American larch (Larix), a beautiful black alder (Alnus), or one of the very best trees for Minnesota, Northern white cedar (Thuja). Male cottonwood (Populus) and peachleaf willow (Salix) can be used if the site is not near concrete or sewer lines. Wafer-ash (Ptelea) and hemlocks (Tsuga) could be suitable replacements as well, especially if it’s shady. For spaces that can accommodate large shade trees, bur and northern pin oaks (Quercus), catalpa (Catalpa), Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus), red or white pine (Pinus), white or Norway spruce (Picea) or Princeton American elm (Ulmus) could end up being better representatives in the landscape than ash ever were. Do’s and Don’t’s Don’t let any tree species make up more than 5-8% of your community’s tree pal-ette. Mix up your own landscape, too. If your neighbor has a lot of oaks, don’t plant more oaks. Don’t plant any more maples if you have a choice. In some communities and pri-vate landscapes, maples outnumber ash trees. Stop doing that. Don’t plant trees in boulevards less than four feet wide. They will get destroyed during the inevitable street reconstruction, sewer/gas/electric line repairs. Lobby your community for boulevards that are actually what they were intended to be: tree lawns, at least 8-10 feet wide. If that’s not possible, lobby for planting trees on the other side of the sidewalk.

‘His Majesty’ Amur cork tree, suggested as

an ash replacement in part due to its ash-

like appearance.

Below: Foliage...

Photos: Dave Hanson

Continued on next page

Page 14: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

Mystery Tree Answer

Do plant what’s best for the landscape site, not just trees that are native. Native trees are not always the best nor the most disease/insect pest resistant. American elm and Dutch elm disease. Oaks and oak wilt. Butternut and butternut canker. Ash and emerald ash borer. Ohio buckeyes tolerate deicing salt spray better than most trees. Bald cypress tol-erates wet soils better than most trees. Take advantage of over three centuries of horti-cultural breeding and cultivation and select from among the best trees and shrubs. Do plant the new trees for a long life.

Don’t buy and plant severely pot-bound trees. Go to a different nursery that has better tree root systems.

Don’t bury trees too deep. The first main roots should be within an inch of the soil surface. If you buy a tree in a container or a burlapped soil ball, the roots are buried by too much soil. Remove that excess soil at planting time and everything is lovely again.

Do water every time you think of it. Watering frequency, not volume, is most important. However, don’t smother the roots with water! If the soil is poorly drained, frequent watering will exclude soil oxygen and quickly kill the new replacement.

Do mulch the root zone of new trees with a couple of inches of organic material to help them get established. Mulch retains soil moisture, regu-lates soil temperatures, and keeps lawnmowers away from stems. How-ever, don’t get creative with the mulch and pile it up against the tree trunks. Go to just about any commercial landscape and note how the mulch is architecturally piled against the stems, creating mulch volcanoes. Do the exact opposite on your trees!

Winter 2011 • Advocate

The Fallen Ash (continued)

Page 14

Manchurian ash, native to Asia, may have

resistance to emerald ash borer attack because the spe-

cies evolved alongside that insect in the wild.

Fraxinus mandshurica ‘Mancana’

www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/handbook/th-3-101.pdf

Photos: North Dakota State University Extension Service.

D on’t plant any more

maples if you have

a choice.

Gary Johnson

Mystery Tree

Page 15: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

About MnSTAC Calendar and Web

Page 15 Advocate • Winter 2011

The Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee (MnSTAC) was established in 1974 by a group of concerned citizens to address the health and well being of community forests. MnSTAC is recognized throughout Minnesota and the country for its ex-pertise, advice, coordination and support for com-munity trees. It is an organization of diverse indi-viduals who represent a broad spectrum of tree-related interests. It fosters and supports local com-munity tree programs across the state so healthy community forests are fully integrated into commu-nity development, infrastructure, education and management.

MnSTAC Board of Directors

January 5-7, 2011 Northern Green Expo, Minneapolis Convention Center www.northerngreenexpo.org

January 12, 2011 Conference on Conifer Diseases, 2117 West River Road , Minneapolis www.rainbowtreecare.com/institute/

January 27, 2011

New Tree Inspector Training, TIES, Saint Paul www.mntreeinspector.com

January 14 - March 25, 2011 Arborist Certification Training Urban Forestry Institute, Minnetonka http://www.msa-live.org/docs/ArboristCertTraining.pdf

January 30 - February 1, 2011 Wisconsin Arborists Association / WI DNR Annual Conference and Trade Show, Green Bay, WI http://www.waa-isa.org/

February 3-5, 2011 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, Charlotte, NC http://www.newpartners.org/

February 14-17, 2011 American Society of Consulting Arborists Consulting Academy, Indianapolis, IN http://www.asca-consultants.org/edprograms/consultingacademy.cfm

February 17, 2011 Rochester Arborist Workshop, Rochester International Event Center www.rochesterarboristworkshop.com

February 23-25, 2011

National Green Infrastructure Conference, Shepardstown, WV http://www.conservationfund.org/GIC2011

February 23-25, 2011 Iowa Shade Tree Short Course and Iowa Nursery & Landscape Asso-ciation Conference and Trade Show, Ames, IA http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/shadetree/home.html

March 15-16, 2011 Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course, Bethel University, Arden Hills Minnesota Shade Tree Short Course

May 26, 2011 New Tree Inspector Training, TIES, Saint Paul www.mntreeinspector.com

Upcoming MnSTAC Forums Third Thursday of the Month

January: Urban Forestry Non-Profits February: Social Value of Urban Forests March: Bur Oak Blight

http://www.mnstac.org/

Webs of Interest: Great River Greening

www.greatrivergreening.org

International Society of Arboriculture www.isa-arbor.com

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

www.arboretum.umn.edu

Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association

www.mnla.biz

Minnesota Society of Arboriculture www.msa-live.org

Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation

www.mtgf.org

Tree Board University www.treeboardu.org

Tree Care Advisor Program

www.mntca.org

Tree Link www.treelink.org

Tree Trust

www.treetrust.org

Urban Forestry & Horticulture Institute: University of Minnesota

www.trees.umn.edu

Urban Natural Resources Institute: An initiative of the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station. E-learning Webcasts Archive: www.unri.org/webcasts/ To subscribe: www.unri.org/e-news/

Bob Tomlinson Steve Shimek Tina Markeson Alan Ek Jeffrey Gillman Glen Hambleton Jim Vaughn Steve Roos Dave Kleinhuizen Larry Westerberg Barb Spears Anne Oldakowski Craig Johnson Emily Ball Kameron Kytonen Steve Nicholson Dave Auchter Kit Richardson Karen Zumach John Ingleman Ron Norenberg James Lemmerman Dave Moehnke Jill Johnson, Ex-officio Ken Holman, Ex-officio Ken Simons

Minnesota DNR Minnesota Dept. of Ag. Minnesota DOT University of Minnesota University of Minnesota Minnesota Tree Care Advisor MN Society of Arboriculture American Society of Landscape

Architects MN Nursery and Landscape

Association Society of American Foresters MN Forest Industries MN Assoc. of Soil, Water and

Conservation Districts League of MN Cities City of Minnetonka City of Andover Consulting Forester Utility Forester Local Tree Board Member Tree Trust Hutchinson Technology Inc. Citizen at Large, DNR Region 1 Citizen at Large, DNR Region 2 Citizen at Large, DNR Region 3 U.S. Forest Service Minnesota DNR Parliamentarian

President: Katie Himanga

Webcasts from the Alliance for Community Trees: First and third Thursday of every month: Noon-1:00 pm Get the schedule, sign up to watch, or view archived webcasts at: http://actrees.org/site/resources/webcasts/

Publication:

Sustaining America’s Urban Trees and Forests: A Forests on the Edge Report. http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/fote/sustaining.html

Page 16: Winter 2011 - Shade Tree Advocate

... affording to plant live trees ... (continued from page 11 )

Minnesota Shade Tree Advocate

A quarterly newsletter pub-lished by the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee

Managing Editorial Group:

Ken Holman, Gary Johnson,

Rebecca Koetter, Karl Mueller,

Lara Newberger, Jacob Ryg, and Mark Stennes.

Editor: Dave Hanson

Material in this newsletter is not copyrighted. Reproduc-tion for educational purposes is encouraged. Subscriptions are free. Articles, news items, photos and videos are wel-come. This publication was pro-duced with the support of the USDA Forest Service, North-eastern Area; State and Private Forestry. Address inquiries to:

Minnesota DNR Division of Forestry 500 Lafeyette Road Saint Paul, MN 55155

Winter 2011 • Advocate Page 16

In some gravel bed systems trees have over-wintered well, so planting could be resumed the next season with very little tree mortality. As years go by, the gravel bed will age, col-lect organic matter from roots and leaves and develop more spaces for water to attach it-self to, further increasing its effectiveness.

Another advantage with bare root plants in gravel is that a very dense root system typi-cally develops in as little as 4-6 weeks after heeling them in a gravel bed. Putting a tree in the gravel bed sys-tem is like a person training for a marathon; they’re getting in shape for the big event. According to Gary Johnson from the Department of For-est Resources, a tree or shrub held in a gravel bed system for as little as six to eight weeks will have a root sys-tem that contains many more fine roots…hundreds to thousands times more fine roots compared to trees in a standard pot or field soil. Generally speaking, a plant with a better developed fine root system is much more likely to survive the movement to a new landscape and establish faster than one with a sparse root system.

In gravel bed systems with no soil and or pot to mess with, the trees are easily “harvested,” transported and planted. This makes it easier on everyone, saving time, energy and sweat. So many volunteers have shown up on planting day, worn themselves out mov-ing a few balled-in-burlap trees and went home thinking “well, I’ve done that once, and I think I’m done!” Also, with a bare root gravel bed tree you can see the entire root structure, which allows you to prune out defects and plant it at the correct depth without guessing where the first roots are.

Wrapped up remarks

There’s a general consensus that Emerald Ash Borer will kill a lot of trees in Minnesota in the next 10-50 years, and they should be replaced. The reality is most communities can-not afford to start their own nursery or buy every tree they need as a containerized or field grown specimen; however, the myth-buster is that a gravel bed nursery system has the po-tential to be an affordable option for certain circumstances. Just as every kitchen needs a pantry, every city needs a gravel bed.

Phot

o: G

ary

John

son

Typical fine root development of a crabapple in a gravel

bed for two months.

w ith a bare root gravel bed

tree you can see the entire

root structure, which allows you to

plant it at the correct depth!

Derik Olson is a graduate research assistant in the Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota. He was formerly a Minnesota GreenCorps urban forester with the City of Rochester.