Something simple and extremely fundamental must underpin any effort to increase the biodiversity of the urban canopy: adequate quantity and quality soil and water. That’s it. If a guy wanted to grow a great tree in a typical 4 x 4 urban tree opening, he could add macronutrients (NPK), micronutrients (Mn, Mg, etc.), compost tea,… More
Tree species diversity is a critical element of ecology sustainability, the most urgent of which is to minimize the impact of pests and disease outbreaks on urban canopy cover. Anyone who has followed the introduction of Dutch Elm disease (DED) is already painfully aware of how devastating tree pest outbreaks can be. Where I live,… More
Tree species diversity is a critical element of ecology sustainability, the most urgent of which is to minimize the impact of pests and disease outbreaks on urban canopy cover. Anyone who has followed the introduction of Dutch Elm disease (DED) is already painfully aware of how devastating tree pest outbreaks can be. Where I live,… More
Picture a schematic drawing for, say, a downtown revitalization project. You’d see bustling businesses, new bike lanes, colorful signs, and rows and rows of identical trees. As an arborist, horticulturist, and landscape architect I’ve given a great deal of thought to plant diversity over my career, and this practice of only planting a single species is… More
DeepRoot’s Silva Cell has been installed in dozens of rooftop projects around the world. Whether it is on top of existing structures such as parking garages, or a garden terrace atop a new construction project, Silva Cells can help create structure, bio-retention for tree roots wherever installed. There are two types of green roof installations,… More
DeepRoot’s Silva Cell has been installed in dozens of rooftop projects around the world. Whether it is on top of existing structures such as parking garages, or a garden terrace atop a new construction project, Silva Cells can help create structure, bio-retention for tree roots wherever installed. There are two types of green roof installations,… More
I’ve always believed in nature’s processes to manage compounds in the environment. Even as a young undergraduate engineer, I often wondered why we are removing natural systems like trees and soil rather than working with them, why we weren’t protecting and bolstering those systems in ways that enhanced their natural mitigating processes. The (relatively) recent… More
Many factors affect tree health. Are they all equally important or are some more important than others? According to Kim Coder, PhD, Professor of Tree Biology & Health Care at the University of Georgia, soil compaction is by far the biggest constraint on tree growth. In a 2007 paper, he wrote, “Soil compaction is the most… More
– Silva Cells solved the 2009 CSO stormwater transition during the Marquette and 2nd Avenue (MARQ2) busway project, mitigating stormwater runoff. – Over 167 trees were installed along 48 blocks of downtown Minneapolis each with 588 ft3 (16.6 m3) of soil volume. – Above ground, the trees provide shade, clean air, and beauty. Below ground,… More
– The world’s most well-known and recognized stadium, which went from seeing 2 million visitors a year to 9 million by 2016, is getting its entryway revamped complete with green infrastructure. – The sheer scale and complexity of this project required a flexible long-term tree growth solution that accommodated numerous underground utilities. – Silva Cell… More
