Feasibility of Planting Small, Bare Root Trees in Select Locations as an Alternative to Typical Community Tree Ordinance Planting Requirements (00-DG-11083150-500)

This project consisted of a study that compared purchasing and transplanting costs, growth rates, survivability and degree of vandalism on seedlings in an urban setting in order to verify that planting seedlings versus two-inch caliper trees or larger is an option in an urban setting.

Tree planting continues to be a major priority in urban and community forestry programs. Many municipal ordinances require a minimum of two-inch caliper trees or larger for planting in new developments because of the belief that large planting stock has greater survival rates and fewer losses from vandalism. However, the cost of these trees and their planting are major limiting factors in replanting the urban forest.

A study was established at two public sites in the Piedmont of South Carolina comparing survival and growth of bare-root (BR) whips and balled and burlap (B&B) red maple (Acer rubrum 'Red Sunset'). The study also evaluated the role of fertilization on survival, growth, health and appearance of newly planted trees.

Twelve BR trees (24%) and two (4%) B&B trees died within the first year and one B&B tree died in the third year. The majority of the tree failures were due to a flat-headed apple tree borer infestation at a cost of $72 and $190 plus labor, respectively. The infestation was greater on the B&B trees, but they had more trunk wood to withstand the attack prior to control. Better monitoring and earlier control would have prevented the loss. No trees were lost to vandalism.

Height growth was significantly greater on BR trees than on B&B trees. Fertilization significantly increasedheight growth of the BR, but not the B&B, trees. The results indicate the value of fertilizing at planting and ayear following in urban soils, the cost-effectiveness of planting BR versus B&B trees, and the absence of lossfrom vandalism at some public sites.

Project objectives:

The primary objective of the project was to compare the purchasing and transplanting costs, growth rates, survivability, and degree of vandalism of 2.0- to 2.5-inch caliper B&B trees to those of 0.5- to 0.75-inch bare root trees installed in two heavily-used public sites (an elementary school and a park/recreation area).

Attachments

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