Blog 1: Trees need People
I thought I was all finished with the landscape industry a decade or so ago and, ready to move on, let the knowledge I had gained gradually start to slip slowly away while I continued to putz around in my own garden at a leisurely pace. Then something changed.
After moving to a downtown home a few years ago I started to notice strange things happening in the neighborhood. Every morning I walk our little dog, a few blocks east, a few blocks south, and so on. Almost every day during the spring, summer and fall I would notice people laying down landscape fabric on the planting strip (Right-of-Way, Hell-strip, whatever you want to call it) and putting down gravel. At times, it would be a homeowner, at others a contractor or other person hired for the job. Sometimes the area would be scraped off first, other times the fabric would be laid over or around whatever was there. In most cases, whatever irrigation might have been there was removed or disconnected. In other cases, one or two drip emitters might be placed at the base of a fairly mature street tree. Hardly ever did I see anyone putting in any plants or making any improvements to an irrigation system, and in five years I could count on one hand the number of places where both occurred. There did not seem to be any consideration given to the trees in these easements, and their need for water air, and nutrients.
I’ve thought a lot about why there is such a lack of interest in these areas that we typically see and cross every day, especially if our car is parked in front of the house. Our easement strips have become abandoned orphans! There are several reasons why this has happened:
There is no sign of these areas on downtown property Site Plans or Improvement Location Certificates. It is as though they do not even exist. There is no mention of these Rights-of-Way or easements on realtors MLS Listing documents. Some buyers are unaware of their responsibilities to maintain, others don’t accept that it is their responsibility.
The cost of water. This is a major concern for owners of rental properties in particular, and, of course, for others in economic hardship.
If there is no adequate sprinkler system on the property, hand watering is an additional challenge for some.
Environmental concerns around the shortage of water in the Colorado river basin as a whole, and the mistaken notion that the world will be a better place if we eliminate all watering of our trees and other landscape elements.
For decades, there has been no enforcement of the city codes requiring watering and maintenance of these trees.
So……there’s the problem, but what about solutions?
OK, Solutions……..Hmmmmmm.
The City Forestry Department’s role in this is clear. They plant trees, prune, and treat for pests. They have taken a more pro-active approach in recent years and are doing their part. The main part of tree care that is dependent on property owners is watering appropriately to maintain tree health. This has become a huge problem for the reasons listed above.
What can we (you and I) do to improve the health of our street trees?
Get involved, this is a community issue:
Talk to people that might be persuaded about the benefits of trees.
Offer help and support to those that need it.
Thank people who are already taking good care of their street trees.
Support efforts to improve code enforcement.
Thank you for reading this post and please do get in touch, make comments, suggestions, ask questions, and join our mailing list!
“Trees give peace to the souls of men”. Nora Waln