According to a recent article from Mark Kivner with the BBC, the first scientific study to examine what is commonly known as the nursery effect — that is, identical trees developing differently based on their growing conditions — has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Let the “trees don’t forget… More
In Part 1 I talked about the history of Bio Char. In Part 2, I discussed some of the controversy surrounding this soil amendment. Here in Part 3, I’ll look at how you obtain bio char and explore ideas for its future applications in cities. Bio char is made much differently than the charcoal we use… More
In Part 1 I talked about the history of Bio Char. In Part 2, I’ll discuss some of the controversy surrounding this soil amendment. I’ve only known about bio char for the last several years. My first experience with seeing modern manufactured bio char applied was by Dr. Kelby Fite at Bartlett Tree Laboratory over… More
Bio char, or terra preta, is one of the best, longest lasting soil amendments known to humans. This pyrolysed carbon is a soil amendment that can include surprising ingredients such as rubber tires, biosolids, and food waste, has gotten a lot of attention as a low-cost, ecologically sustainable solution.
Recently I had a chat with an arborist who was convinced that when a street tree dies it is related to root barriers. Try as I might, nothing could dissuade him of this notion. And that got me to thinking that after all these years, the idea of how root barrier work and what they… More
We recently got an inquiry from a reader in response to our chart, How Much Soil To Grow A Big Tree?, asking whether there is a way to estimate the DBH of a tree based on its caliper, or vice versa.
What is the difference between a complete street and a complete road? This is a distinction that I didn’t give too much though to until reading an entry on Strong Towns unpacking a problem that they term as the co-opting of complete streets.
In Part 1 of this series I talked about the basics of soil compaction and how soils are broken, and in Part 2 I discussed whether and how broken soils can be fixed. Today, in Part 3, we’ll look at how this information is relevant for people considering using the Silva Cell in their projects. Because… More
Root barriers have somewhat been relegated to the side what with all of the hullabaloo about the Silva Cell. This is a little sad to me, since root barriers have been an effective tool used to help maintain the integrity of sidewalks and other hardscapes for over 30 years. They are also an important… More
In Part 1 of this series I talked about the basics of soil compaction and how soils are broken. Today, I’ll look at whether broken soils can be fixed. Since soil compaction so often causes problems after construction, many scientists have studied the effectiveness of ways to avoid compaction or reverse it after it occurs…. More
Like soil and other vegetation, trees are an element of the built environment typically associated with the landscape. It makes sense. They are land-based organisms that dominate the natural world. They certainly are nothing like pipes, sewers and other grey infrastructure. Right?
Urban soils are typically inhospitable places for trees, other plants, and their oxygen breathing microorganisms. Construction equipment, grading, and even human foot traffic leave urban soils much more compacted than natural soils. Typically 40-55% of the volume in a healthy forest soil consists of pore space. This pore space consists of varying proportions of air… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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