Tree Care Advisor Newsletter

Inside This Issue:

Doggy litterboxes By Gary Johnson

1

Quick Hits / Volunteer Opps and Chad Giblin

2

Putting Down Roots: By Cliff Johnson

3

Shade Tree Short Course Opportunity / By Gary Johnson

10

Your Hours Category is? By Dave Hanson

12

Contacts

16

Replacing Lost Trees! Co-op effort...

13

Volume 12 Number 1 Winter 2005

Dave Hanson and Gary Johnson, Managing Editors

http://

www.mntca.org

By: Gary R. Johnson As many of you know, much of the research work that I have done over the past 10+ years has in-cluded trees growing on boulevards throughout Minnesota. Most of this work has forced me to spend a good amount of time on my hands and knees on these boule-vards, "tree lawns" as they were originally called. So,

I have become very famil-iar with the wide and the skinny tree lawns in Min-nesota, the lush and the weedy, the clean and the…well, the doggy litter-boxes of Minnesota. Even more importantly, I've spent a lot of time under-ground with the tree roots in these various "rhizospheres," and can speak on their ability or inability to support healthy trees.

I've never had to ask any-one to move their chaise lounge chair from the boulevards as I've dug around and within them. Nor have I ever been asked by a stray golfer or croquet player for permis-sion to "play through." As near as I can tell, almost all boulevards are doggy litterboxes, staging areas for garbage and recycling contain-

Winter - was it ever really here?

Yes, we had a cold snap or two, but I’m sure that the Metro area didn’t experience

a true Minnesota winter.

In this issue Gary gives you reason to start planning a rain garden… whether it is

on your boulevard capturing your lawn runoff or possibly around a downspout

from your roof. Either way, raingardens can be attractive and functional.

To complement that article I have opened up Cliff Johnson’s archives and pulled an

article on cleaning up our run-off and wastewater...

Later in this issue look for information on the Shade Tree Short Course

and how TCAs can volunteer and get a discount based on hours of volun-

teer service as reported to Dave…

Boulevards Can be More than Doggy Litterboxes

Continued Page 5

Gary on his hands and knees

inspecting a boulevard site…

Photo: Dave Hanson

Page 2 Quick Hits

TCA Volunteer Opportunities at the U of MN TRE Nursery Research is still rolling on here at TRE as spring approaches. I've come up with some pro-jects that you might be interested in. Computer Analysis of Paclobutrazol Treated Roots This research involves root sorting and computer analysis of trees treated with paclobutrazol growth regulator. This is all lab work and involves cleaning and sorting stored roots, analyz-ing on computer, and storage for dry weight measurements. This job is currently headed by an undergraduate research assistant who works on the following days: Monday & Friday: 900AM - 5PM Tuesday & Thursday: 10AM-2PM Shifts change on occasion to conflicts but, generally, are consistent. This project is currently underway and is scheduled to continue through the end of March on this current schedule. Root Slicing and Harvest of Planting Depth - Media Characteristics Study The second project will involve root harvest of a planting depth/container media porosity study. This will be mixed outdoor and lab work and will probably need to occur on week-end. This project involves cutting root systems with a bandsaw, washing, sorting, various analysis techniques. Below are some dates that work for me, we can get more specific if a particular date works for several people. Week-End Possibilities: 26 & 27 February 2005 05 & 06 March 2005 26 & 27 March 2005 Elm Pruning Third, we have roughly two acres of elms that require pruning yet this winter. This involves training for central leaders, removing suckers, etc. Elms are a tough tree to manage in the nursery and this might be a good chance to work with some small trees that often require a lot of maintenance. I would prefer to work on this project Thursday and Friday during the day but if some of the above week-end dates look good we can roll this into the same day. Spring B&B Harvest and Bare-root Planting Finally, beginning in late April and early May we will have several opportunities (both week-day and week-end) for planting and B&B harvest of elm trees for the elm evaluation study. This is a great opportunity to work with this stock if you would like more experience in this area. This is very weather dependent to keep your ears open and we will keep you posted! If you are interested in helping out with any of these projects please contact me, including the project you are interested in, your contact info and the dates you are available (if appli-cable). I can be reached here: Lab phone: (612) 624 2729 X2 Dept. Fax 612 624 4941 -or- E-mail address: gibli002@umn.edu Thanks for your consideration! Chad Giblin, Scientist University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Campus Department of Horticultural Science

Visit Chad’s research web pages at: www.tre.umn.edu

Minnesota Shade

Tree Short Course

March 22, 23 2005

Bethel University,

Arden Hills, MN

See:

www.cce.umn.edu/

shadetree

For Good Stuff all

the Time…

Visit:

www.mntca.org

TCA Update

March 12th

Gary Johnson -

Talks Trees and

Construction

Page 3 Putting Down Roots - A column in the Chaska Herald.

Cliff Johnson’s 2001 Archive

CLEAN WATER OR GREEN WATER -- THE CHOICE IS OURS

In Minnesota, three out of

four people use groundwater

as their source of drinking

water. The most common

contaminants in groundwater

include nitrates, phosphates,

petroleum products and pes-

ticides.

I recently viewed a video

titled "Every curb is a shore-

line." The title refers to the

fact that, while few of us may

actually own lake or river

shoreline as part of our

property, virtually everyone

lives in a watershed that

drains to a river or lake.

Storm sewer systems are

designed to move water

away from our residences

and businesses as quickly as

possible. Curb and gutter

systems in most developed

cities and towns, unfortu-

nately, are also very efficient

at transporting whatever pol-

lutants have collected on

roads, streets and sidewalks

to our state's rivers and

lakes.

For the past year, Master

Gardeners have been pro-

moting an educational cam-

paign to improve groundwa-

ter quality by encouraging

good water practices in

homes and gardens. With

the theme "Clean water or

green water: The choice is

yours," the campaign is de-

signed to prevent phospho-

rus and other pollutants

from entering rivers, lakes

and streams where these

pollutants can contribute to

raised nutrient levels and

undesirable "green" water.

Many of the practices that

can reduce water pollution

are relativly simple but are

often overlooked by misin-

formed gardeners and home-

owners.

Homes and cabins located on

shorelines of lakes and

streams represent one of the

highest-risk locations for pol-

luted water. Since most

home and cabin lots slope to

the water, pollutants of all

kinds are easily washed to

the water by rainfall. Lawn

fertilizer is one of the worst

pollutants and is especially

damaging to water when

lawns extend all the way to

the shoreline. An alternative

to lawns that stretch to the

shoreline is an ecologically

smart buffer zone that ex-

tends 50 feet in both direc-

tions from where the

water meets the

shore. Wildflowers,

grasses and other na-

tive plants on the

shoreline side of the

buffer zone prevent

runoff, utilize nutri-

ents and attract butterflies,

birds and other wildlife.

Reeds, rushes and sedges in

the water utilize nutrients

and attract fish and other

forms of aquatic life.

Inside homes, a number of

practices can help improve

water quality and reduce wa-

ter consumption and chemi-

cal buildup in water. Con-

sider reducing use of the gar-

bage disposal by sending

more of your kitchen left-

overs -- fruit and vegetable

scraps, eggshells and coffee

grounds -- to the compost

bin. Wash dishes and laundry

only when full loads are avail-

able. Choose low-phosphate

dishwasher and laundry de-

tergents.

Flow restrictor faucets, low-

flow showerheads and low-

flush toilets can further re-

duce water consumption.

Refrain from using toilets as

Eupatorium purpureum - joe-

pye-weed likes moist areas.

Photos: Dave Hanson

Wildlife of all kinds are attracted

to natural areas like these.

Above - wetland areas with

sedges, water lilies, cat-tails.

Below - Bumble bee working a

thistle.

Page 4 Putting Down Roots...

wastebaskets for Kleenix,

cigarettes, medicines and

other refuse. Eliminate in-

tank bowl cleaners and use

all cleaning products in mod-

eration.

In the workshop, dispose of

hazardous products prop-

erly. Paints, thinners, sol-

vents and other poisons

should be delivered to

county recycling centers

rather than buried or tossed

in garbage containers. Don't

wash paintbrushes under

running water in the sink.

Don't use floor drains or

storm sewers as disposals

for chemicals and solvents,

and recycle auto oil, anti-

freeze and transmission fluid.

Grass clippings and leaves

should never be allowed to

enter the storm-sewer sys-

tem. Recycling lawnmowers

that return grass clippings to

the lawn can reduce the

need for lawn fertilizer. If

lawn clippings and leaves are

bagged, they should be dis-

posed of at a composting site

rather than a landfill.

"Most people would be hor-

rified to watch the water

entering lakes and streams

from storm sewers immedi-

ately following an intense

rainfall," says Bob Mugaas,

Hennepin County extension

educator. "You would likely

see all sorts of junk and gar-

bage, leaves, grass clippings,

twigs, branches, soil, oil slicks

and other forms of organic

debris. What you would not

see are the many different

forms of dissolved organic

and inorganic compounds

flushed from streets, land-

scapes and rooftops that

makes up the individual wa-

tersheds.

"Many of these materials

contain phosphorus and

other nutrients that can

cause aquatic plant and algae

populations to explode. Even

un-decomposed organic ma-

terials such as leaves and

grass clippings will decom-

pose eventually and cause an

undesirable flush of algae

growth called 'blooms.'"

There are many aspects of

managing our environment

that we have no control

over. Mugaas advises that

each of us practice those

things that we can do to

positively impact

water quality.

Rain water gardens / retention can be a small residential plot or on a

larger scale as in these parking areas… Photo: http://

www.enviroscience-ems.com/pages/raingardens.htm

Page 5 Doggie Litter boxes… Continued from page 1

ers, and other utilitarian functions. I see no reason, therefore, to invest a lot of time maintaining turfgrass, a ground-cover intended for golf courses, parks and lawns…when there are other op-tions. Okay, I admit that it has taken me a while to get to the point of the conversa-tion, but Dave instructed me to use up some white space. Plus, I wanted to voice my opinion on the logic of creating and maintaining a groundcover designed for lots of foot traffic in an area that is primarily viewed, rarely used. Therefore, at this point, I would like to offer an alter-native to turfgrass in order to bring some variety to our boulevards, create better rhizospheres for our boulevard trees, re-duce the amount of chemicals that are working their way into our water re-sources, and just add some variety to the tree lawns: "blooming boulevards." For many, if not most of you, blooming boulevards is not a new concept. Rain-gardens, prairie gardens and blooming boulevards are working their way into our gardening language and we have all seen examples of these alternatives to lawns somewhere in the state. So why aren't they more common? Why do most properties still mown, fertilize, apply her-bicides and maintain relatively useless lawns in the boulevards? Even more perplexing, why do some blooming boulevards suddenly revert back to turfed lawns? Bad Reason Number One: My com-munity won't let me put in a blooming

boulevard. False. There probably are some communities in the state that dis-courage blooming boulevards, but I know of none that summarily ban them. Quite often, communities dictate the height of plant materials (they should), and occa-sionally restrict which boulevards can be developed (again, they should). But if anyone knows of a community that flatly bans them, I would appreciate finding out about that. Ordinances, policies and practices can be changed. However, most communities request that you apply for permission to install a blooming boulevard, which again should be done (that boulevard is not your prop-erty…it's the city's). Your public servants may be able to help you, keep you from wasting your time and money (that boulevard is due for sewer line renewal next year and will be torn up), and/or keep you and your neighbors safe (there are shallow, buried utility lines in this part of your boulevard). So it's less a matter of getting permission, and more a matter of informing the community of your de-sire to beautify and improve the public property in front of your home. Bad Reason Number Two: It's too much work. I would reply…prove it. Have you recorded all of the hours spent mowing, raking, applying fertilizer and weed killer to the boulevard in the past? Plus your time investment? Preparing the soil, planting and maintaining a boulevard garden is an investment of time, sweat and money, but I'm not absolutely Continued Page 7

Height restrictions are neces-

sary to ensure visibility near the

street - so plants like these two

while unique and beautiful need

to be back away from the boule-

vard.

Above: Silphium perfoliatum -

cup plant. Easily 6 feet tall.

Below: Silphium laciniatum -

compass plant Easily 6+ feet tall.

Photos: Dave Hanson

Page 6 A Rain Garden Sample Plan...

Veronia spp - Ironweed.

Photo:Dave Hanson Silphium perfoliatum - cup plant - notice how the stem and leaves meet.

Photo:Dave Hanson

Liatris spp - blazingstar.

Photo:Dave Hanson Solidago rigida - stiff

goldenrod and bees

Page 7 Doggie Litter boxes… Continued from page 5

convinced it's a significant difference. Additionally, to many people it's worth it: for the beauty, for the reduction of chemicals entering storm water sewers, for the attention that you will receive, for the exercise, or for the pure recreational value of gardening. Bad Reason Number Three: "I've never seen one before; I think that it would look weird and my neighbors would be upset." Connect with the web sites at the end of this story. These are local contacts and references. There are many blooming boulevards in Minnesota communities, and you may have either not noticed them, or live in an area where there are few if any. Visit some. Take pictures. Share the ideas with your neighbors, and see if you can develop a block-long garden, or at least one that transcends a few properties. Pretty soon, it may look normal in your neighborhood. Bad Reason Number Four: I thought that you said we should never plant a garden within the root area of trees? I discourage roto-tilling the soil where tree roots are growing in, but there are alter-natives for preparing planting sites under trees. Also, many boulevards don't have trees (especially after the ash, ma-ple and elm losses we've been suffer-ing), or the trees are fairly new and have-n't developed extensive root system. I could list more bad reasons for not planting blooming boulevards, and some good ones, too. But the reasons FOR

planting blooming boulevards are just as plentiful, and actually, much more logi-cal. They can be very attractive, and certainly offer some variety. They are part of a better environment for tree roots. They can reduce the amount of pesticides used and overused in land-scapes, and reduce the amount of chemicals flowing into our water re-sources. They can add character to a neighborhood, and become a stimulus for getting neighbors to interact and take responsibility and pride in their commu-nity. Some General Guidelines for Suc-cessful Blooming Boulevards: 1. Communication. With your commu-nity and your neighbors. Call the Public Works, Forestry, Parks and Recreation or whatever department in your commu-nity that is responsible for boulevard maintenance. Request permission and fill out the paperwork (when it's neces-sary) to install a blooming boulevard. Contact your immediate neighbors (contiguous to your property and in sight of it), inform them of your ideas, show your plans and pictures of successful gardens and tell them to feel free to con-tact you for more information (this is a good way to accumulate some TCA vol-unteer hours). 2. Preparation. Contact Gopher State One Call, 1-800-252-1166 before you start planning your garden. Many buried utilities are shallow - sometimes as shal-low as 4-8 inches - and it's nice to know what you need to avoid hitting with a shovel! Get a probe and determine (if

Veronicastrum virginicum - Cul-

vers root.

Photo:Dave Hanson

Sagitaria latifolia - Broad-

leaved arrowhead.

Photo:Dave Hanson

Page 8

there are trees on your boulevard) where the branch roots are. Mark the pattern of the branch roots with stakes or wire/flags.

Ideally, the surface level of the boulevard garden (with accompany-ing mulch) should be lower than the sidewalk and curb. This is some-times very difficult, especially if there are a lot of shallow tree roots. If you can't lower the grade, and if the boulevard is wide enough, a turfgrass mowing strip between the garden and the sidewalk and the garden and the curb can keep the

soil and mulch from eroding away. What-ever you need to do to keep the mulch and soil from eroding or washing away into the street or sidewalks, do it. When the sod can be stripped, do it. If it can't, lay down newspapers or whatever to either kill out the grass or assist the sur-face mulch in that same process. You don't need to spade up or rototill the entire area. By using a small shovel (like a tiling spade) and a trowel, you can plant your plants with minimal damage to the branch and fibrous roots. Do not…do not…do not…add commercial fertilizer to the soil. It won't need it. Have a soil test done, however, and choose plants that will do well in that pH range, in that soil fertility range, and in that soil tex-ture. There are many, many better alter-natives (also called different plants) to add-ing more chemicals to the soil. 3. Choose your plants wisely and pre-pare $2.00 planting holes for $1.00 plants.

There is no substitute for matching the best plants to your planting site. Consider not only the limitations of the soil men-tioned above, but also deicing salt use, traffic on the boulevard, and utilitarian functions. If people use the boulevard to get from the curb to the sidewalk, create a pathway of brick, stepping stones or what-ever your community allows. If you need an area to set the garbage can out every week, provide a clear surface within your garden for that. Again, this could be pavers, stepping stones, or pre-cast con-crete slabs that are integrated into the gar-den. Loosen the soil as much as possible as you prepare the planting hole. Don't set the plants too deep in the planting hole…remember, the surface will likely be mulched. Don't plant too close to tree trunks…stay about 1.5-3.0 feet away from mature trees, about a foot away for new trees. Water the plants deeply at planting time, BEFORE the garden is mulched. For some plant selection ideas, I would recommend a few tactics. First, visit other, successful blooming boulevards that are in similar sites to yours. Also, note the plants that are not doing well, are too tall, or seem to demand too much maintenance…and avoid those. Second, visit the MN Landscape Arboretum (especially the park-ing lot plantings), and the University of MN, St. Paul campus, Horticulture Display Gar-dens. Great areas to get ideas and see which plants you prefer. Third, dwell on perennials, and minimize the use of annu-als. If you want to use a lot of annuals,

Part of the idea

behind a rain-

garden is to

capture all of

that nutrient

rich run-off

from your turf...

Roots of a cottonwood

with an annual garden nes-

tled in.

Photo: Dave Hanson

Page 9

consider growing them in submerged pots (pot-in-pot growing). Finally, consult the plant recommendations listed in the two websites listed at the end of this story. 4. Maintain the gardens. Nothing will discourage your neighbors and others from accepting the ideas of blooming boulevards like an unkempt garden. Keep the garden well-watered (perhaps keeping a series of soaker hoses perma-nently placed in the garden). This is the most important amendment that you can provide, for the garden and the trees. "Police" the area frequently. Pick up the inevitable trash and debris that ends up on boulevards (regardless of what's planted there). Dead head nasty looking flowering plants. Pinch back spindly ones. Get rid of poor producers, and re-member not to use them again! Weed frequently (gives you a chance to chat with passers-by). Replace poor choices and let the garden evolve into the best it can be. Cut back the herbaceous plants in late autumn, with the exception of those that provide a wonderful winter in-terest: e.g., grasses. If mulch is washing out into the gutter or on the sidewalk, sweep it up and figure out how to avoid the problem in the future. Good Grief! After writing all of this down it DOES SOUND LIKE A LOT OF WORK! For some people, though, it's worth it. I'd recommend that you give it a chance, a try, and see if you can talk your neighbors into it. One property's boulevard that is filled with different colors and textures is

very attractive. An entire block treated that way is a joy to walk through. For more information on Blooming Boule-vards in the Twin Cities, including some recommended plants: Committee on Urban Environment (CUE). www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cue/Blooming_Boulevard. You can access and print off a pdf brochure, too. Twin Cities Boulevard Gardening. www.mppeace.org/downloads/boulevard.pdf. Excellent and extensive plant list. Maplewood Rainwater gardens. http://www.maplewoodmn.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={F2C03470-D6B5-4572-98F0-F79819643C2A}

Photo: Dave Hanson

Page 10 Getting Involved as a TCA …

at the 2005 MN Shade Tree Short Course

Please read this story carefully…money depends on it. Once again, Tree Care Advisors have a chance to be part of the larger urban for-estry community in Minnesota. The 2005 MN Shade Tree Short Course (STSC) will be held on March 22 and 23, 2005, at Bethel College in Arden Hills, Minnesota. You are invited to participate as a full reg-istrant, at a reduced rate or as a volunteer with a complimentary registration. Regis-tration brochures will be mailed out approximately 6 weeks prior to the STSC (February 8). As in the past, there is a TCA "track" at the STSC, with a couple of sessions unique to TCAs. Paula Denman, TCA Hennepin County, will be leading a panel discussion on how to get involved as a TCA, and cre-ating your own, unique urban forestry op-portunities. Cliff Johnson, TCA Carver County, will lead a panel on the rewards and potential pitfalls of diagnosing prob-lems on the phone. It's very important that TCAs support their program and their col-leagues by attending these sessions. So, put them on your daily schedules.

This year, we will have a separate area for TCAs to dine (for lunches) on both days. On day one (March 22), we will take the time to honor some of the outstanding ef-forts that TCAs have made over the past year. On day two, we'll probably just eat and talk too much. Either day offers an

opportunity for you to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones.

Reduced Rates for Active Members (such a deal!)

(see page 12 for your level)

Platinum Level TCAs (>500 documented hours as of 12-31-04) : Free Regis-tration!

Gold Level (300-499 hours): 80% dis-count = $26.00 registration fee.

Silver Level (200-299 hours): 60% discount = $52.00 registration fee.

Bronze Level (100-199 hours): 40% dis-count = $78.00 registration fee.

Read and follow these instructions carefully: 1. Determine your TCA Activity Level (e.g., Silver). If you are uncertain, contact Dave Hanson…he keeps the records.

2. When you receive your registration bro-chure, fill out all information and include a check payable to "University of Minne-sota" for the appropriate registration amount (e.g., for Silver Level, it would be $52.00).

3. Mail the registration form and check to: Dave Hanson, TCA/STSC 2005, 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Avenue North, St. Paul, MN 55108. DO NOT MAIL THE REGISTRA-TION AND MONEY TO ANYONE BUT DAVE HANSON. DO NOT

Page 11 Getting Involved as a TCA …

WRITE THE CHECK TO ANY-THING BUT "UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA!" We have had problems in the past when TCAs have sent their registration to the registrar at the College of Continuing Edu-cation. They don't know what's going on. In the past, we've taken care of problems and straightened everything out. No longer. The registrar has instructions to ignore any registration that is not for the full amount unless Dave and I sub-mit it.

The same goes for checks in payment for registration. Do not write them to "Shade Tree Short Course," or "Tree Care Advisor Program," or "Dave Hanson." They will be returned to you because we cannot cash or deposit them. (Sorry, Dave) 4. Dave and I will submit your registrations to the Registrar for the STSC and you will have a registration packet and badge wait-ing for you at the registration desk.

Please help us by following these steps. It gets way too confusing when people just do what they want to do, and we can't take the time to straighten things out anymore.

Volunteer at the STSC There will be a limited number of open-ings for TCA volunteers at the STSC in 2005. If you are interested in volun-teering and receiving a free registration, please follow these directions:

1. Be willing to contribute up to four hours a day at the STSC as a volunteer.

2. Be willing to do what the volunteer co-ordinator asks you to do, not just what you want to do.

3. Contact the STSC Volunteer Coordina-tor, Patti Lee Gates, and sign up as a vol-unteer. Patti Lee's email address is doog3@earthlink.net. Please email Patti Lee whenever possible. If necessary, her phone number is 763-427-2461.

4. Patti Lee has complete authority over the volunteer aspect of the STSC; Dave and I as well as the STSC Registrar and CCE will always defer to Patti Lee.

5. Patti Lee will work with you on your du-ties. She will also send me a list of volun-teers. Please fill out a registration form after you have been assigned a volunteer task, send it to Dave Hanson, but include no registration fee. Simply write "TCA Vol-unteer" at the top of the registration form and "N/A" in the amount column. Dave and I will submit your registration to the Registrar. Do Not Send the Registration to the Registrar. She will not know what to do with it. Every year, our volunteers receive nothing but accolades from the participants at the STSC. For many people, you are the main reason that they enjoy the conference and get so much out of it. You should feel very proud and honored if you are a volunteer there and/or have been one in the past.

We can't do it without you.

Page 12 TCAs and Volunteer Hours 2004

"Good Work Every-one…"

After entering the volunteer

hours reported for 2004, we

have a new list of "TCA

Medalists." Those with their

names in bold font are new

to a category. The catego-

ries of achievement are

based on the total volunteer

hours contributed by that

individual since completing

their TCA training.

BRONZE LEVEL (100-199 hours) Anna Barker Gary Schneider Doris Carroll Sharon Fisk Ronald Reeves Andy Sobert Terri Goodfellow-Hayer Jackie Overom Lee Gilligan Paul Couture Marilyn McKay James Zastera Barbara Stendahl Gail Griffin Harold Batzer Jean Hjellming Claire Kari Kay Karsell Lou Ann Keleher

Lynn Klessig Deb Kuechle Herb Pieper Kathy Pollock Beverly Quam Laurie Drolson Jay Willet Cindy Matiski Roxanne Hardy Ken Kirchner Dianne Ballentine Cindy Ralls Rebecca Koetter Kathleen Bonnet Janet Erdman John O’Reilly SILVER LEVEL (200-299 hours) Joyce Nellis Charles Hueser Diana Bolander Leah Peterson Bruce Granos Paula Denman Francis Eberlein Barbara Leschisin Vera Wagner Gordon Hanson Pat Friedrichs David Paulson Jane Saltvold Robert Wright Dorothy Pederson Lynn Vernon Heide Ludwig Diane Crea

GOLD LEVEL (300-499 hours) Mike Sowers Nancy Bjerke Jane Klein Barbara Kirkpatrick Glen Hambleton Maureen Lundgren Margaret Kirchner Georgiann Keyport Barbara Harlan Polly Augustson Tim Wedekind PLATINUM LEVEL (Over 500 hours) Lorrie Stromme Patti Lee Gates Carolyn Dingfelder ** Robert Condon ** Skip Rither * Esther Filson ** Rita Nystrom ** Jim Nelson ** Gordon Herbst Mimi Hottinger Warren Banks Cliff Johnson Janet Larson Sherry Akins ** 1000+ hours club !

Thank you, thank you, thank

you to all TCAs! YOU and

your fellow TCAs are the

reason that this program has

such a wonderful reputation.

STSC Reduced Registration Rates for Active Members

Platinum Level : Free! Gold Level: 80% off = $26.00.

Silver Level: 60% off = $52.00. Bronze Level: 40% off = $78.00.

Page 13 Filling the Spaces:

Last Fall , Patrick Weicherding, Chad Giblin, Gary Johnson and I were plan-ning the Tree Inspector Workshops for Morris, Staples and Rochester. One of the hot topics that we were aware of is the need to replace trees, not only those lost to Dutch elm disease, but years of urban strees, drought and you name it are claiming many other spe-cies as well.

So, what you find on the next two pages are the small and medium sized trees that could use a little more “exposure” in the landscape...

Keep in mind that this is just a starting point - it is only a list… After present-ing this list and an accompanying PowerPoint recently there were a num-ber of questions like: “Well, what

about________ ?” My reply, “take the Mike Zins approach.” If there is a spe-cies that you are willing to give room in your landscape - then do it - give the plant a try and see how it works out…

I have dropped the “Large Trees - Trees Greater than 50 Feet” for sev-eral reasons… Talking blooming boulevards, I thought it would be ap-propriate to focus on the smaller trees. Secondly, many of the “large” trees shouldn’t be on our small suburban / urban boulevards - they have require-ments that just can’t be met over the long life span of these trees - root space for example…

But the big reason they were dropped - I am up against the page limit on this issue of the newsletter. Enjoy!

Winter into Spring - Don’t give up hope yet, we are getting there!

Quercus macrocarpa - February 14th, 2005 and September 12th, 2004

Photos: Dave Hanson

Page 14

Filling the Spaces: Small Trees – Less than 25 feet

Name Hardy to: pH Salt Drainage Drought Compaction

Amelanchier species (Serviceberry) MN

Acidic to neutral

Spray tolerant

Tolerates poor

Moderate Moderate

Carpinus caroliniana

Hop hornbeam South 1/2

MN Acidic to neutral

Not Very

Tolerates poor

Moderate Moderate

Cercis canadensis

(Eastern redbud) South 1/3

MN

Acidic to Moderate Alkaline

Not Very

Needs good drain-

age Moderate

Moderate to good

Crataegus laevigata

(‘Crimson Cloud’ English hawthorn)

South 1/3

MN

Acidic to Moderate Alkaline

Not Very

Needs good drain-

age Good Moderate

Crataegus crusgali

(Thornless cockspur haw-thorn)

South 1/2 MN

Acidic to Moderate Alkaline

Not Very

Tolerates poor

Good Good

Maackia amurensis

(Amur maackia or maackia) MN Acidic to Alkaline

Not At All

Reported tolerance of poor

Very Good

Magnolia X loebneri

(‘Merrill’ magnolia South 1/3

MN

Acidic to Moderate Alkaline

Doubtful Tolerates

poor Moderate Moderate

Malus species

(Crabapples ‘Sugar Tyme’, ‘Prairifire’, ‘Snowdrift’, ‘Professor Sprenger’)

MN Acidic to Alkaline

Moderate to spray

Tolerates poor

Good Good

Pyrus ussuriensis

(‘Prairie Gem’ Ussurian Pear) MN Acidic to Alkaline

Unknown Needs

good drain-age

Very Good

Syringa reticulata

(Japanese Tree Lilac) MN Acidic to Alkaline

Very Good

Very Tolerant

Very Good

Tolerance of

Page 15 Filling the Spaces: Medium Trees - 25 feet to 50 feet

Name Hardy to: pH Salt Drainage Drought Compaction

Acer campestre (Hedge maple) South 1/3

MN

Acidic to Alkaline

Unknown

Good tolerance

of wet soil

Very Good Very Good

Aesculus glabra

(Ohio Buckeye + cultivar ‘Autumn Splendor’)

Species: MN

Cultivar: South 1/2

MN

Acidic to Alkaline

Very Good

Good tolerance

of wet soil

Moderate Moderate

Alnus glutinosa

(Black alder) South 1/3

MN

Acidic to Alkaline

Appears Moderate

Very tolerant of poor

drainage

Moderate (may shed

leaves when

droughty)

Good

Fraxinus mandshurica

(‘Mancana’ ash) MN Acidic to Alkaline

Appears Moderate

Moderate Good Good

Fraxinus nigra

(‘Fall Gold’ black ash) MN

Acidic to Alkaline

Unknown Good Good Good

Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis

(Thornless honeylocust)

South 1/2 MN

Acidic to Alkaline

Good Some what

Good Good

Ostrya virginiana

(Ironwood) MN Acidic to Alkaline

Appears to have some tolerance

Prefers well-

drained Somewhat Moderate

Phellodendron amurense

(Amur cork tree) South 1/2 MN

Acidic to Alkaline

Reported to tolerate salt

run-off Good Good Good

Sorbus alnifolia

(Korean Mtn Ash) South 1/3

MN,

Maybe more

Acidic to Alkaline

Not Very Good

Moderate Moderate Moderate

Tilia X flavescens

(‘Glenleven’ Linden) South 1/2

MN

One of the most

tolerant Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate

Tolerance of

Contact Phone Numbers Program Contacts: Gary Johnson – 612-625-3765 or grjonson@.umn.edu Dave Hanson – 612-624-1226 or dlhanson@umn.edu Mailing Address: 115 Green Hall, 1530 Cleveland Ave. North, St. Paul, MN 55108 County Contacts: Anoka County (Patrick Weicherding) – 763-755-1280 or weich002@umn.edu Blue Earth County – (507)389-8325 Carver County (Jackie Smith) - (952) 442-4496 or smith515@umn.edu Dakota County (Barb Stendahl) – 952-463-8002 or stend004@umn.edu Hennepin County (Bob Mugaas) – 612-374-8400 Olmstead County – 507-285-8250 Ramsey County – 651-777-8156 Scott County (Jackie Smith) - (952) 492-5410 or smith515@umn.edu St. Louis County (Bob Olen) – 218-726-7512

TCAAG Members: Paula Denman, Chair – 612-338-1871, pjdenman@mn.rr.com Bob Condon – 952-890-1228, bobnbunny@juno.com Laurie Drolson – 651-464-9829, ldrolson@yahoo.com Bruce Granos – 952-423-5211, bjgbjgbjg@hotmail.com Mimi Hottinger – 507-388-4838, mimih@mctcnet.net Additional Reference Contacts: Debby Newman (Info-U) – 612-624-3263 Don Mueller, DNR Forestry – 651-772-6148 don.mueller@dnr.state.mn.us Great River Greening – 651-665-9500 Ken Holman, DNR Forestry – 651-296-9110 ken.holman@dnr.state.mn.us Paul Walvatne MNDOT – 651-284-3793 Paul.Walvatne@dot.state.mn.us Tree Trust – 651-644-5800

Picture credits:

EVS - Enginerring Services http://www.enviroscience-ems.com/index2.htm

http://www.enviroscience-ems.com/pages/raingardens.htm

The story terminator

for this issue - Celastrus

scandens - winter fruit

and husks. These are

very colorful out in the

wild, especially after a

snowfall. But, typically

in the wild the fruit

production is sparse;

therefore, it usually

takes a number of vines

to produce a good

splash of color unless

the vine is on a really

good site.

Photos: Dave Hanson

A cloudy, February day

in Anoka County.