Plant More Trees - What Could be Greener?

December 15, 2009, WASHINGTON, DC (Ecobuild USA 2009) - The race to get LEED certification may  have blinded us about a basic tenet of green building -- plant more trees. 

However, it is surprising to learn some of the common mistakes we are making while adding trees to our latest development.

• Plant 'em and forget them. There's no such thing as no-maintenance landscaping.
• Stuffing trees into a project. A 5 ft tree requires 60 cu ft of soil.  Root flare in a mature tree and roots barely below surface will damage sidewalks.

(courtesy bikexprt.com)
 

• Mistaking dirt for soil. Dirt is what you get on a job site, often very compacted. Architects should spec the soil and make sure it has some biology in it
• Underestimating costs. Though you can get trees for $210 from catalogs, don't forget to include soil removal and addition and watering. Tree cost is more like thousands of dollars.
• It's about the roots. Containered trees have a life of a couple of decades - compared to the same tree in the wild that survives 400 years. You can reduce the mortality by using a nursery that does root ball pruning, which generates a dense root ball, (In contrast with 90% of roots that are cut off without root ball pruning)
• Blindly following LEED requrieents to plant native species. Native species may thrive in biodiverse forest settings but special considerations abound in developments. In some cases, it may be better to plant an invasive species. Look for these characteristics"
  • ability to withstand stress and urban conditions
  • ability to withstand neglect
  • fibrous roots systems
  • dense foliage
  • can be planted at high density

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