City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/475555
In This Issue: Contributors Roundtables are an excellent resource for SMA members! A repository of 26 Roundtables from 2005-2015 will soon be available on the SMA website. The Roundtable format was a suggestion from Dr. Nina Bassuk that we took and ran with. Each Roundtable contains advice and anecdotes from on average 8 to 10 professionals. We would like the Roundtables to be more freely available. They hold up! The topics are: Bioswales, Building Bridges Between LAs and MAs, Building Bridges with City Depts, Part I and II, Cemeteries, Climate Change, Consulting, Contract Growing Partnerships, Drought, EAB, Fall Planting, Gas Lines and Trees, Historic Trees, Invasives, Large Tree Relocation, Medians, Memorial Trees, Pruning Cycles, Sewer Lines, Social Networking, Teaching, Tree 14 City Trees www.urban-forestry.com 15 I have been involved with large tree and palm relocation since the mid-1970s. I was always awed by the fact that a mature tree could be relocated and not only survive for just a few years but actually thrive for decades. The old timers in my field who had been mov- ing trees for years taught me the basics. My first experience moving large trees on my own was in 1989 when I planned and supervised the relocation of 15 very large Phoenix palms (Phoenix reclinata). It was a very interesting and stressful experience. The area where they were going to be planted had originally been the site of a very large stand of beach oaks (Casuarina equisetifo- lia) that I had cut down to stumps the previous month. We had been seamlessly moving and replanting the Phoenix palms with a 50-ton crane until we took one of the largest palms off a flatbed trailer next to a prepared planting hole. As the palm was being lifted, one of the crane's outriggers broke through the underlying substrate. This area is mostly solid oolitic limestone that can go down at least 16 feet (5 meters). Usually this rock is very hard and stable—but the exact spot where the outrigger sat apparently was over a small cavity, and the combined weight of the crane and palm caused the rock to give way. It is fortunate that the palm had only been a few feet off the trailer so the weight was released as the palm hit the trailer when the side of the crane dropped. We were able to relocate the crane and re- rig and eventually the palm was planted. The trailer had two broken axles. This experience taught me early on that there are many factors to consider when relocating trees. An intimate knowledge of the tree species, its root system, the sub- strate, proper rigging, root pruning and ultimately proper maintenance are some of the things to consider when moving mature trees. Some of the tropical trees that I have worked with always ended up moving with bare roots. The soil falls off before we can wrap the root ball, yet these trees consistently survive the relocation. Since the first relocation of the Phoenix palms, which are growing well two decades later, I have successfully moved dozens of species of trees and palms. I have learned to be patient and to think the process through. I have also come to the realization that proper pre- and The Santa Monica, California tree crew transplants a Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) in the 1950s using a "hydrocrane." Photo Courtesy of City of Santa Monica R O U N D T A B L E Large Tree Relocation Joan S. Blaustein serves as the Director of Urban Forestry and Ecosystem Management Division for the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation. The Division is respon- sible for maintaining and restoring the Department's 5400 acres of forests, streams, lakes, meadows and wetlands; managing the City's street and public space trees; promoting tree planting on public and private lands; and advanc- ing the City's urban agriculture efforts. Chad Clink is Community Forester with The Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio. His major responsi- bilities include community outreach and engagement on the impor- tance of trees and woody plants. Matt Fredmonsky is a project manager in corporate communications with The Davey Tree Expert Company. He has more than ten years of experience as a professional writer, including as a magazine freelancer, journalist, adjunct professor, social media man- ager, photographer, blogger, and pub- lic relations manager. M.D. Skeet ("Skeet") is District Sales Manager for The Care of Trees branch in Naperville IL. Skeet has an MS in Forestry from the SUNY School of Environmental Science and Forestry. He has been part of The Care of Trees family since 1991, is a guest instructor at Joliet Junior College, answers tree care questions on WGN's The Bill Moller Show, and is an ISA-Certified Arborist. Matthew Stephens has worked at NYC Parks for eight years where he currently leads the tree planting pro- gram. While at Parks, Matthew has worked to increase the overall effi- ciency of the tree planting program, implemented a platinum level customer service program, and led the devel- opment of Parks' innovative tree pro- curement program. Matthew received a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from Illinois State University and a Master of Science in Public Horticulture from the University of Delaware in the Longwood Graduate Program. Want to write for City Trees? Request the Writer's Guidelines. Contact City Trees Editor Michelle Sutton at: CityTreesEditor@gmail.com Full Collection of Roundtables Available Soon on the Website! Boards, Tree Lights, Urban Forestry's Location in City Departments, Urban Fruit Trees, Urban Wood, and Zoos. 10 City Trees