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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/378697
ÌÞÊ/Àiià -i>ÌÌiÊÀii>v½ÃÊ/ÀiiÃÊvÀÊ i}LÀ`ÃÊ«ÀiVÌ]ÊÜVÊ«>ÌÃÊ £]äääÊÌÀiiÃÊÊÀiÃ`iÌ>ÊÞ>À`ÃÊ>`Ê>}ÊÃÌÀiiÌÃ]ÊÌ>iÃÊ«>ViÊÊ "VÌLiÀÊ>`Ê ÛiLiÀ°Ê*ÌÊ ÕÀÌiÃÞÊ-i>ÌÌiÊÀii>vÊ 3EATTLE 7ASHINGTON HAS A REPUTATION FOR NONSTOP RAIN BUT THOSE OF US WHO LIVE HERE KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE )N FACT MOST OF OUR RAIN FALLS BETWEEN /CTOBER AND -ARCH #HICAGO $ALLAS AND -IAMI ALL GET MORE ANNUAL RAINFALL ON AVERAGE THAN 3EATTLE DOES 3UMMERS HERE ARE VERY DRY AND SUNNY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDS AND ONLY RARE PRECIPITATION 7HILE THAT MAKES FOR A PERFECT SUMMER FOR HUMANS IT IS QUITE HARD ON SPRINGPLANTED TREES WORKING TO OVERCOME TRANSPLANT SHOCK 4REES PLANTED IN /CTOBER AND .OVEMBER BEFORE THE MODERATE RISK OF FROZEN GROUND AND SNOW THAT SOME TIMES COMES WITH OUR WINTERS STAND THE BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVING THEIR FIRST SUMMER 4HATS WHY 7ASHINGTON 3TATES OFFICIAL !RBOR $AY ON THE SECOND 7EDNESDAY IN !PRIL DOESNT WORK WELL FOR US TREES WERE SUPERIOR TO THE BARE ROOT DORMANT TREES DIS TRIBUTED IN PRIOR YEARS IN THAT THEY WERE STILL IN FULL LEAF AT THE TIME OF DISTRIBUTION AND INCLUDED A SOIL PLUG WHICH SIMPLIFIED PLANTING AND DRAMATICALLY INCREASED SEEDLING SURVIVABILITY IN THE HOME LANDSCAPE 4HE POPULARITY OF THAT FIRST FALL TREE DISTRIBUTION AND AVAILABILITY OF SUPERIOR URBAN SPECIES PAVED THE WAY FOR .ORFOLKS ANNUAL !RBOR $AY &AMILY &ESTIVAL TO BE MOVED FROM !PRIL TO /CTOBER BEGINNING IN AND THEREAFTER .ORFOLKS DECISION TO CELEBRATE !RBOR $AY IN THE FALL WHEN EVERY COMMUNITY IN THE STATE WAS OBSERV ING !RBOR $AY IN !PRIL WAS BOLD #ONCERNS ABOUT MEDIA AND COMMUNITY CONFUSION STATE AND LOCAL RESISTANCE AND POTENTIAL RESIDENT COMPLAINTS NEVER MATERIALIZED .ORFOLKS AUTUMN !RBOR $AY CELEBRATIONS AND URBAN TREE DISTRIBUTIONS REMAIN A POPULAR COMMUNITY EVENT FORGED IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF * 3TERLING -ORTONS VISION FOR SUS TAINABLE WELL TREED COMMUNITIES ±%BWJE4JWZFS'PSFTUSZ4FSWJDFT.BOBHFS$JUZPG.JMXBVLFF 8JTDPOTJO 4HE SPIRIT OF !RBOR $AY WAS LITERALLY BORN AND COMMEMORATED AS AN OFFICIAL STATE HOLIDAY ON * 3TERLING -ORTONS BIRTHDAY ON !PRIL OUT OF A NEED FOR TREES TO SHELTER AND SHADE THE BARREN .EBRASKA PLAINS AND HOMESTEADS ,ONG BEFORE I4REE APPLICATIONS COULD QUANTIFY THE MANY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS THAT TREES PROVIDE * 3TERLING -ORTON RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCAT ING AND ENCOURAGING .EBRASKAN hTOWNSPEOPLEv TO PLANT MORE TREES 4HIS AWAKENING WHICH IN A FEW SHORT YEARS SPREAD TO ALL STATES GAVE BIRTH TO URBAN FORESTRY AND ESTABLISHED !RBOR $AY AS AN OFFICIAL NATIONAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATED ON THE LAST &RIDAY IN !PRIL -ANY STATES AND COMMUNITIES IN THEIR ZEAL TO HOST THEIR OWN !RBOR $AY CELEBRATIONS SIMPLY FOLLOWED .EBRASKAS AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE NATIONS !PRIL HOLIDAY DESIGNATION WITHOUT ANY REAL THOUGHT FOR THE OPTIMAL HORTICULTURAL TIM ING FOR TREE PLANTING IN THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS .ORFOLK 6IRGINIA WHERE ) SERVED AS THE #ITYS FIRST #ITY &ORESTER FROM ADOPTED THE STATES DESIGNATED !RBOR $AY SECOND &RIDAY OF !PRIL FOR THE #ITYS CELEBRATION THAT IS UNTIL THE YEAR 4RADITION UNDOUBTEDLY ACCOUNTS FOR SPRING !RBOR $AY CEL EBRATIONS IN MANY SOUTHERN STATES AND COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED FROM A HORTICULTURAL PERSPECTIVE WITH A FALL CELEBRATION !NOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS LIKELY THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN BARE ROOT SEEDLINGS NEEDED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY TREE DISTRIBUTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FROM COMMERCIAL AND STATE FOREST SEEDLING NURSERIES 4YPICALLY THE SPECIES AVAILABLE FROM SEEDLING NURSERIES ARE GROWN FOR REFORESTATION OR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PUR POSES AND MAY NOT BE DESIRABLE OR WELL SUITED TO URBAN CONDITIONS 4HAT WAS OUR EXPERIENCE IN .ORFOLK .ORFOLKS DUAL INTEREST IN PROMOTING THE USE OF UNDE RUTILIZED URBAN TOLERANT ORNAMENTAL AND SHADE TREES AND REALIGNING THE #ITYS !RBOR $AY CELEBRATION WITH THE BEST SEASON FOR TREE PLANTING IN SOUTHEAST 6IRGINIA WAS SATISFIED WHEN AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF SEEDLINGS WAS IDENTIFIED )N THE #ITY WAS AWARDED A 5RBAN AND #OMMUNITY &ORESTRY GRANT FROM THE 6IRGINIA $EPARTMENT OF &ORESTRY TO PURCHASE A SEEDLING CONTAIN ER GROWING SYSTEM 2AY ,EACH #ONETAINERS TO ENABLE THE #ITY TO PRODUCE URBANTOLERANT !RBOR $AY SEEDLINGS FROM SEED AT THE #ITYS NURSERY )N THE YEAR THE .ORFOLK #ITY NURSERY PRODUCED A TOTAL OF SEEDLINGS OF SIX SPECIES BLUE !TLAS CEDAR #EDRUS ATLANTICA KOUSA DOGWOOD #ORNUS KOUSA EASTERN REDBUD #ERCIS CANADENSIS GOLDENRAIN TREE +OELREUTERIA PANICULATA *APANESE STYRAX 3TYRAX JAPON ICA AND BLACK GUM .YSSA SYLVATICA .ORFOLK -ASTER 'ARDENER VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTED THE TO INCH TO CM SEEDLINGS IN /CTOBER AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS INCLUDING THE .ORFOLK :OOLOGICAL 0ARK .ORFOLK "OTANICAL 'ARDENS AND 4HE (OME $EPOT 4HE CONTAINER GROWN