November — Tree Talk 

Since early November, with community support, Capital Trees has planted over 60 trees in the Richmond region furthering our efforts to expand our tree canopy and build a greener and more vibrant community. As our volunteers learned over the last few weeks, planting a tree is more than just pulling it out of the pot (or removing the burlap/wire) and dropping the tree into the ground. There are several steps that come well before planting day to give trees the best chance to both survive transplant and thrive for years to come.  

Here are a few tips and resources to help you plant trees that will last for generations.  

Select the right tree for your location.

When we collaborate with our project partners on tree selection, we consider or prioritize the following:

• Where will the tree be located and what are the current site conditions or constraints including sunlight, soil type, location in the region, public use of the site, and space available for planting below, beside, above, and around the tree. It is important to review the site before selecting a tree as sites with limited space will dictate tree selection. For example, you do not want to plant a large/tall tree under power lines, and you want to be cautious when selecting trees that will be planted near existing structures.  
• What are you hoping to achieve by planting the tree? For example, are you looking for shade? (Choose a tree with a sprawling canopy.) Are you looking for a tree that looks good in the winter or flowers in the spring? (Maybe something evergreen for the former, or an eastern redbud for the latter.) What shape of tree are you looking for? (They don’t all grow the same.)
• Once the site factors are reviewed, Capital Trees prioritizes selecting native trees that are hardy in the planting region (1) and consistent with site constraints and project goals. There are many resources available online that can aid in native tree selection(1).
• Capital Trees also prioritizes trees that are no larger than 1” caliper when planting to limit the transplant shock. Studies indicate that tree establishment and survival is better with smaller trees. Larger trees are harder to move and remove from their pots which can cause additional stress to the tree when planting. In addition, the roots of larger trees take longer to recover from transplanting. Until roots recover, trees won’t grow up and out. Smaller trees tend to have higher survival rates in the first few years of establishment, making them our preference when choosing a tree. As an added benefit, younger trees are often more affordable!   

Prepare the site and tree for planting

Once you have selected the right tree for the right place, here are some pointers for preparing  the site and tree for planting (3,4,5):

• Dig an adequately sized hole that is 2 – 3x the width of the container the tree is currently in and the same depth of the container.  Rough up the sides of the hole, especially in clay soil, so the roots have an easier time breaking through the soil to grow horizontally. 
• Carefully remove the tree from the container it is in and take a look at the state of the roots. If the roots are circling the container, gently loosen the root ball to encourage the roots to grow out once planted. It’s also important to identify the trunk flare on your tree, or where the trunk begins to widen, you should be able to see the uppermost portion of the roots as well. (5)

Plant

• The tree should be planted so that the trunk flare is at ground level (not below ground level) and exposed (i.e. no dirt should be covering it). As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t plant a tree any deeper than it was planted in the nursery pot. And if you can’t see the trunk flare or topmost section of the roots, you might need to gently remove a layer of soil to plant the tree at the proper height (sometimes they’re planted too deeply depending on the nursery or source.) Refill the hole with dirt that was dug out. The soil can be amended with biochar and/or compost, but should primarily consist of native soil.  (3,4,5)
• Water thoroughly.
• Apply mulch around the tree in a donut shape leaving a hands width gap between the trunk and the mulch (I.e. don’t mulch directly up against the trunk) – the mulch ring should be at least 8’ in diameter and at least 3” in depth.  Capital Trees recommends using arborist chips for mulching, but another type of mulch is better than no mulch at all. (6)

Water

• Establish a plan for consistent watering for the first 1 – 3 years after planting.  Consistent watering is at least 1” rainfall a week or comparable watering. If it rains over 1” in one week, then the newly planted tree does not need additional watering.  In periods of insufficient rainfall the Va Department of Forestry recommends  “Newly-planted and young trees should be watered two to three times per week with roughly two to three gallons of water per caliper inch” (7). If consistent watering will be difficult, Capital Trees uses Tree Diapers to ensure consistent watering. They should be applied below the mulch (8).  

See below for additional resources on planting trees to help build a greener and more vibrant community. 

1. Tree Selection:   Common Native Trees of Va; Native Plants for Va Capital Region, City of Richmond approve species list (may contain nonnative)
2. Evaluation of Plant Size Stock Growth for Conservation Plantings, Influence of Tree Size on Establishment and Growth, Survival and Growth of Transplanted Large- and Small-Caliper Red Oaks
3. Tree Planting tips:   Va Department of Forestry, Tree Planting Guide including tips for bare root, balled/burlap, and containerized trees
4. Tree Planting tips:  Royal Botanical Garden of Canada
5. Show Me Your Root Flare, Clemson
6. Creating a Mulch Improved Soil
7. Tree Care/VA DOF
8. Tree Diapers

November — Featured Trees Seasonal Update

This year we’ll be documenting the same two trees as they progress out of dormancy, bud out in the spring, are full of foliage in the summer, and lose their leaves in the fall. Follow along for monthly updates on the River Birch and Eastern White Redbud along the Low Line Gardens in Richmond, Virginia.

November — Urban Green Space Maintenance

The mild weather means that summer weeds have continued to flourish. Pair that with winter weeds that didn’t get the memo they should be delayed… and we’ve been busy! Thankfully, our weekly maintenance volunteers and private workgroups have been consistently in the gardens to help control weed activity.

Two years ago, six of the twelve Amelanchier trees that weren’t thriving at the Low Line were replaced with Chionanthus virginiana (Fringe Trees). Since then, the Fringe trees have thrived, and we’re now replacing the remaining six Amelanchiers. Once this is completed, volunteers will refurbish the garden beds around the trees, adding new plants as well as dividing and transplanting existing plants.

At Canoe Run Park, volunteers expanded the mulch rings around the 50 trees we planted last fall. This will give the trees the best chance to develop a healthy root system and will minimize competition from grass and weeds. 

Our work is ongoing — during this season of gratitude, we’re so thankful for both new volunteers and recurring volunteers who regularly and generously give their time to ensure the health and beauty of the Low Line Gardens, Low Line Green, and Great Shiplock Park. If you want to join in, keep an eye on our social media pages for announcements about future workdays. 

November — Spotted at: Great Shiplock Park

Residents in and around Richmond’s northside have spotted that construction is well under way now on the Hotchkiss Green at Hotchkiss Field Community Center. Exact Stormwater Management is currently working on the permeable asphalt trail, grading, and berm construction that will serve as the physical foundations of the completed greenspace. The permeable trail is designed to manage stormwater runoff, by slowly filtering rainwater beneath the surface. We hope that the trail will be mostly completed before winter sets in (the exact timeline is weather dependent), and we’ll be planting trees soon. Stay tuned for more updates, and in the meantime, check out the aerial shot of the progress so far, we recently donned our hard hats to see the progress in person!