Got Nature? Blog

Choosing and planting a tree should be a well-informed and planned decision. Proper selection and planting can provide years of enjoyment for you and future generations as well as increased property value, improved environmental quality, and economic benefits. On the other hand, an inappropriate tree for your site or location can be a continual challenge and maintenance problem, or even a potential hazard, especially when there are utilities or other infrastructure nearby. This informative video will describe everything needed to know about choosing the right tree.

Resources:
Financial and Tax Aspect of Tree Planting, The Education Store
Tree Risk Management, The Education Store
Designing Hardwood Tree Plantings for Wildlife, The Education Store
Importance of Hardwood Tree Planting, The Education Store
Planning the Tree Planting Operation, The Education Store

Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources

 

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It’s a tough neighborhood for trees in the built environment. It is an ecosystem unlike any other, because it is dynamic, fragmented, high-pressure, and constantly under siege. There are continual extremes and challenges in this “un-natural” area as opposed to the environment in a more natural woodland. It’s a place where trees die young, without proper selection, planting, and care. Successful tree selection requires us to think backwards—beginning with the end in mind— to get the right tree in the right place…in the right way. This publication, Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, takes a look at some important components of the decision-making process for tree selection. There is both a publication and a video resource on this topic, both of which can be found below.

The video can be watched here:
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree

Resources:
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Construction and Trees: Guidelines for Protection, The Education Store
Diseases in Hardwood Tree Plantings, The Education Store

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Question: We want to plant five fastigiata (upright blue spruce) in an area with heavily compacted soil with large percentage of clay content in the soil. The soil essentially feels and handles like play dough. Water cannot drain down in the soil because of the high clay content. Ewes were planted but they are dying since they are sitting in clay soil with water standing around the roots. A swimming pool was built nearby three years ago and the equipment used was rolled over this area numerous times to remove soil for the pool area, and the clay soil is heavily compacted and won’t allow water to drain.

We are thinking we will dig out the soil maybe five feet deep, 10 feet wide, and 20 feet deep and replace it with good compost top soil mix. We are not sure if we need a T drain or not. We want to plant five of the upright blue spruce in this area.

 Do you have an arborist you can suggest to come out and look at our situation?

Answer: This is a typical issue with soils in our area being composed of primarily clay which leads to heavy, poorly drained soils. The fact that there has been a great deal of construction damage worsens the problem even further. Traffic of this magnitude can render landscape sites virtually useless for any type of sustainable tree planting without mitigation. Your ideas of creating an adjusted planting space may not correct the problem completely, but may help alleviate the damage and improve planting conditions.

I am not certain that digging up and replacing the soil would be of much value, long term. I have had success with site improvements, but it isn’t guaranteed. It may provide temporary improvements to get the trees established, however, once they mature and outgrow your “prepared planting space”, the troubles could begin. Once the roots try to expand into the compacted, native soils, most likely they would be redirected back into the pit, minimizing good root spread for health and stability. Additionally, you would be creating a “bathtub effect” with poor drainage in your excavated pit.

It may be possible to remove and replace the soils in that excavated area with lateral drainage at the bottom of the planting area to remove the water and prevent prolonged exposure to wetness on the root system. Perforated tiles draining outside of the planting area may work. Create a single, central line with a herringbone lateral system that goes past the dimensions of the pit. Use good topsoil with no amendments to the new planting area. One other consideration would be roots clogging the drainage system if not set deep enough. Again, this is a stretch for mitigation, but may be successful with proper preparation.

I would suggest contacting a company with an ISA certified arborist who can assist you with the process. Use Trees Are Good’s Arborist Search to help locate an arborist in your area. Also, try reviewing the publications on construction damage for some corrective and preventative treatments for the future.

Resources:
Collecting Soil Samples for Testing, The Education Store
Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
Certified Soil Testing Laboratories, Purdue Department of Agronomy/Extension
Arborist Search – Trees Are Good
Tree Installation: Process and Practices – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Mechanical Damage to Trees: Mowing and Maintenance Equipment – The Education Store
Why Is My Tree Dying? – The Education Store
Tree Risk Management – The Education Store

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Question: I have noticed that a lot of very mature (> 80 ft) sycamore trees look ill. They don’t seem to have as many leaves, or as large as they usually get and some have already turned brown and died. There are at least 2 in my 5 acres of woods and have noticed the same with other sycamores while driving from Mooresville to Indianapolis. Is there a certain blight/canker/pest that is damaging sycamores this year?

Answer: I have also noticed that many sycamores appear relatively bare and may have brown or wilted leaves on the stems and littering the ground around the trees. The culprit is sycamore anthracnose, a fungal disease that causes damage and death of leaves as well as stem cankers. Sycamore anthracnose symptoms can be severe when we have cool, moist spring weather at the time of bud-break and leaf emergence, but healthy trees generally recover and put on new leaf area once the environmental conditions that favor the disease change to the warmer, drier conditions of late spring and summer.

Normally, the best management practices for sycamore anthracnose are patience and maintaining good tree health. The disease cycle is dependent on cool, moist spring weather, so it will run its course by late spring or summer when the average temperatures rise. Trees that are repeatedly defoliated could be reduced in vigor and be more susceptible to other problems, so steps to promote good tree health can be used as a preventative measure.

Resources:
Purdue Plant Doctor – Purdue Extension
Fertilizing Woody Plants – The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Anthracnose of Shade Trees or Wind Injury: Look Alike Symptoms Can be Perplexing, Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Laboratory
Sycamore – The Education Store
Native Trees of the Midwest, The Education Store
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest, The Education Store
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube playlist
Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube playlist

Lenny Farlee, Extension Forester
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Question: I have two White Ash trees growing in my front yard along the street. One is 8″ in diameter and the other 12″. Large roots are growing out of the ground horizontally away from the trees. Should I try to cut these roots and risk hurting the tree or should I try to mound dirt over them to allow grass to grow? The roots are unsightly and ruining my lawn.

Answer: Trees provide many benefits including clean air and water. Also, they can provide up to 10% greater property value by keeping trees on your site healthy. First, make sure they are treated against Emerald Ash Borer to prevent from losing them to the pest.

Tree roots can grow a great distance from a tree, sometimes two to three times the height of the tree. These are very important for stability and health. Cutting tree roots can be a very risky choice as well as covering them with soil. When you cover existing tree roots with soil the results are similar to smothering the tree by not allowing gas exchange between the roots and the air above.

I would suggest not doing anything to the roots within the drip line of the tree. Outside of this critical root zone area is less risky and changes can be made with minimal risk. The best option under the drip line would be to add a light layer of two to three inches of hardwood mulch creating tree rings to help the tree, reduce mowing and cover the roots.

Resources:
When Tree Roots Surface – Purdue Extension
Emerald Ash Borer in Indiana – Purdue Extension
Mechanical Damage to Trees: Mowing and Maintenance Equipment – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Why Is My Tree Dying? – The Education Store
Tree Owner’s Manual – Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Ornamental plants provide many environmental and ecological benefits to landscapes and urban areas. They can be aesthetically pleasing, reduce stormwater runoff, lower carbon dioxide and pollutants, alleviate the urban “heat island” effect, and provide habitats to pollinators, birds, and mammals. Unfortunately, a few of these landscape species can escape into wild areas and create ecological problems in unintended areas such as forests and woodlands.

The Indy Star shares article titled, “Bradford pears and other backyard bullies to avoid in Indiana” listing some of the invasive species that are taking over Indiana woodlands. If you are planning on adding trees or shrubs to your property this spring, you will want to view this article before planting.

Author:
Cara Anthony, cara.anthony@indystar.com
Release date of article April 2, 2016.
IndyStar

Resources from The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center:
Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production: Alternative Options for Invasive Landscape Plants
Invasive Plant Species in Hardwood Tree Plantations
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock
Mile-a-minute Vine
Native Trees of the Midwest
Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and Landscaping Use

Videos:
Invasive Plant Species: Callery Pear
Invasive Plant Species: Oriental Bittersweet
Invasive Plant Species: Wintercreeper

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Arbor Day is always the last Friday of April in Indiana and it falls on April 29^th this year. Many of us are familiar with the tradition of planting a tree in celebration of this holiday, but have we stopped to count the benefits and reasons why we celebrate planting trees? In honor of Arbor Day, here are 10 reasons to remember why we love and plant trees:

1. Public health: Research shows that trees planted in the city make people happier! The result is a reduction in stress levels, crime rates, and improves patient recovery time.
2. Beauty: Trees are a great way to soften the often harsh city environment. A tree with vibrant fall color, interesting branch structure or bark patterns in the winter, flowering in the spring, or providing shade with its lush, green leaves in the summer will always provide a pleasing distraction from the urban environment.
3. Clean air: Trees are an important source of life-giving oxygen in the air that we breathe. They filter out harmful particulate matter and other pollutants common in the urban or suburban areas that would otherwise make it into our lungs.
4. Clean water: Trees help filter the water we drink. The leaves of a tree slow rainfall on the ground, preventing soil erosion and pollutants from washing into our water sources.
5. Energy conservation: Trees shade our houses from the sun and provide insulation and create windbreaks, keeping heating and cooling costs during the extreme temperatures of summer and winter lower.
6. Property Value: Benefits of trees include lower energy costs and beauty and are recognized and reflected in higher property values where trees are strategically placed.
7. Wildlife: Trees provide shelter and food for wildlife that we love to watch, such as songbirds and squirrels.
8. Beloved landmarks: City trees properly cared for will provide years of memories for residents. They can serve as a place to gather and as a source of civic pride, as well as a way to mark the changing of the seasons and progression of time.
9. Global warming: – Trees are a major factor in carbon sequestration. CO₂ is a major contributor to global warming and tress put it to good use rather than causing harm in the atmosphere.
10. Our children: Every day, many trees are cut down to allow for our continued growth as populations expand. We must work to replace them if we want our children to receive the same benefits from them in the future that we enjoy today.

We have our 10 reasons, now where will we get our 10 trees? For a $10 contribution you can become a member of the National Arbor Day Foundation and receive a gift of 10 trees through the mail. Also with your membership, you will receive discounts on over 100 other varieties of trees and a free guide to planting and care called The Tree Book.

To become a member, you can join online at the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Resources:
Membership – Arbor Day Foundation
Indiana Arborist Association
Tree Installation: Process and Practices – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Importance of Hardwood Tree Planting – The Education Store
‘Twas The Day Before Arbor Day – Got Nature?

Amy Wetzel, Former Urban Forestry Student
Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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A Purdue Extension program that helps Indiana communities improve public spaces such as parks and town centers is surveying West Lafayette residents to get input on the city parks and recreation department’s next five-year master plan.

Specialists and educators in Extension’s Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces program are administering the survey and collecting and analyzing the feedback. The objective is to create a five-year plan for improving facilities, services and programs.

Citizens can access the survey online. Those who do not have access to a computer but would like to participate can receive a copy of the survey at the Morton Community Center, the Riverside Skating Center, the Lilly Nature Center and the West Lafayette Parks & Recreation Service Center on Kalberer Road. Deadline to complete the survey is March 15.

“The Enhancing program is strongly rooted in the community development principles of good practice,” said Kara Salazar, sustainable communities Extension specialist. “As such, we concentrate on participation, inclusion, capacity building and balancing action planning with long-term sustainability.”

To read more, check out Purdue Agriculture News‘ full article titled “Purdue Extension program’s objective: enhance public spaces.” Further questions about the survey can be directed to Kara Salazar at 765.496.1070 or salazark@purdue.edu.

Resources:
Purdue Extension program’s objective: enhance public spaces – Purdue Agriculture News
Enhancing the Value of Public Places Home Page – Purdue Extension
Enhancing the Value of Public Places Action Plan – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Sustainable Communities – Purdue Extension

Kara Salazar, Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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As the weather begins to warm up later this year, the sight of Canada geese returning is pleasant to some as a reminder of spring approaching. It can also be downright irritating to others who experience property damage and other conflicts as the geese concentrate on their property. There are several strategies for dealing with geese listed in further detail at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) website, ranging from mild to severe.

The first thing that is important to know regarding geese is that it is simply not a good idea to feed them. While this act is positive in intention, it is a bad thing for both people and geese. Feeding geese gives them an artificially abundant source of food, which can cause them to delay or skip their migration and instead congregate in areas where they will conflict with people. Furthermore, being fed can cause geese to lose their fear of people, giving them the confidence to stroll across roadways and runways. Finally, large amounts of geese competing over bread and other food of limited nutritional value greatly increases their chances of developing and spreading avian diseases. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service‘s free publication “Caution: Feeding Waterfowl May Be Harmful!” further explains the need to stop feeding geese.

INDNR offers a significant amount of other advice on other methods of handling goose problems. Habitat modification such as adding vegetative barriers or suspended grid systems can be a good long term solution by making your land less attractive to geese. If geese have already begun to settle in, nonlethal harassment techniques like air horns and sprayers can be used twice a day to scare geese away from your property. Nests can be legally removed as long as there are no eggs present. If the situation calls for more severe actions, a permit can be acquired to destroy nests with eggs, or another permit can be issued by a District Wildlife Biologist to capture and relocate the animals. In cases of excessive property damage, a District Wildlife Biologist can also issue an agricultural depredation permit to shoot geese outside of the normal hunting season.

There are many methods of handling nuisance Canada geese this spring, and not one solution for every problem. If there is a goose problem in your area, please view INDNR’s Nuisance Canada Goose Management page to learn more about what you can do and how to acquire permits if needed.

Resources:
Nuisance Canada Goose Management – Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Caution: Feeding Waterfowl May Be Harmful! – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Selecting a Nuisance Wildlife Control Professional, Got Nature? blog, Purdue Extension-Forestry & Natural Resources

Aaron Doenges, videographer & assistant web designer
Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources

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​Urban Forestry Specialist Lindsey Purcell‘s helpful publication “Tree Pruning Essentials” is now available in a Spanish-language version, “Lo Esencial Para la Poda de Árboles.” This publication explores the techniques behind good pruning, from the planning process before planting to monitoring the tree’s response after the pruning cuts.

Trees continue to survive in spite of the many challenges they face in the urban environment. However, to grow from seedling to a mature tree in the urban forest, they need our help. They are the largest, oldest living organisms on the planet and can live long, healthy lives with some assistance. We often place trees in less-than-favorable growing locations that don’t allow natural development and maturity and often require pruning to develop a durable structure, improve clearance and maintain aesthetics.

Pruning has been called “one of the best, worst maintenance practices” performed on trees. The process creates wounds, which have a major impact on plant processes. Improper cutting on a tree causes severe damage or even death. To prune properly, it is important to understand both the proper techniques and how the tree responds to pruning.

Check out “Lo Esencial Para la Poda de Árboles” or “Tree Pruning Essentials” and make sure you are pruning your trees to maximize safety, aesthetics, and tree health!

Resources:
Lo Esencial Para la Poda de Árboles (Tree Pruning Essentials)– The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Instalación de Árboles: Proceso y practicas (Tree Installation) – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Tree Pruning Essentials – The Education Store
Trees and Storms – The Education Store
Tree Risk Management – The Education Store
Prune Your Trees​ – Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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